Texas Forever
by TBorah89
Summary: What if things in Philadelphia didn't go quite as planned for the Taylors? What if they returned to Texas for a better opportunity? What if after years of coaching teenage boys Eric finally gets a son of his own? They aren't East Coast people after all and everything is bigger in Texas.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own FNL or any of the characters just the ones that I make up. This is just for my own amusement.

A/N: This is my first shot at writing FNL. This plot popped into my head while I was re watching it. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

* * *

Chapter 1

Philadelphia

Coach Taylor stood on the sideline of the football field with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes scanned the field and he decided that it was time to call it a day. He nodded to his assistant coach. "Break 'em down coach."

"Bring it in, boys." Coach Tom Rawlings blew his whistle. He'd worked with Eric for two seasons now and he was still in awe of the magic he could work with these boys out on the field.

"Take a knee, boys." Eric lifted his sunglasses and put them on top of his head. "Tomorrow night is our last playoff game before state. This team is bigger, faster, and stronger. They have more experience than we do, but they don't want this worse than we do. They don't have the heart or the determination that we do. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to go home and get a good night's sleep because tomorrow night we are gonna hand these guys their first loss all year. We are not gonna let them come into our house and disrespect us, by beating us in our house are we?"

"No, Coach!" The players yelled.

"Are we gonna leave all that we have out on this field?" Eric got them fired up.

"Yes, Coach!" They yelled again.

"One last thing. Clear eyes, full heart," Eric went on.

"Can't lose!" They answered.

"Alright, now get outta my sight. I'm sick of lookin' at ya." Eric dismissed them.

"Great practice, Coach." Tom clapped him on the back.

"You too, Coach. I'll see you bright and early in the morning." Eric replied. He went to his office and gathered up his things before heading to his car.

The drive home was only supposed to take twenty minutes. With the traffic it took forty. He'd been in the city going on two years and he still wasn't used to the hustle and bustle. He missed the slow pace of Dillon. He didn't miss the constant pressure from the boosters and the threat of losing his job. He did miss the enthusiasm for the game and the support from the community. He was doing his best to adapt, but he still found himself floundering at times.

He didn't for a minute regret asking Tami to bring him with her. He just missed home even with all the complications. He didn't dare voice that to his wife, because she seemed so happy. She was in her element and he loved seeing her that way.

Eric pulled into the driveway and shut his car off. He walked into the house and threw his keys down on the table beside the door.

"Hey, hon, is that you?" Tami called out from the living room.

"I think it's me anyway." Eric sat down on the couch next to her and pulled his hat over his eyes.

"How was practice?" Tami took a sip of her wine.

"It was good. I think the boys are ready for this." Eric replied.

"In case you forgot I'm not gonna be able to make it to your game tomorrow night. I have a big meeting and I won't get out until late." Tami reminded him.

"I already called the sitter and she agreed to stay late so you and I can have some time together." Eric lifted his hat and made his eyebrows dance.

"Eric Taylor, was that an indecent proposal?" Tami slapped his chest.

"It was if you wanted it to be one. Come here." Eric pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Mmm, hi." Tami smiled against his lips.

"Hi," Eric drawled. "Where's the rug rat?"

"She is mercifully in bed asleep." Tami curled up next to him.

"How many books did it take tonight?" Eric asked.

"It took five and that was after a round of negotiations." Tami replied.

"Sometimes I wonder who is actually in charge around here. Then when I think about the answer I dread her figuring out that she's the one who holds the cards." Eric sank back into the couch.

"You and me both." Tami agreed with him.

* * *

Dillon

The boosters for the Dillon Panthers sat around a table looking dejected.

"Buddy, you're the one who's gonna have to do this. He won't listen to anyone other than you. You know what our problem is and there is only one man who can fix it." One of the boosters said.

"I know you just have to give me a little bit of time to work on it. I've got to make this deal too good to pass up. This has to be a sweetheart among sweetheart deals." Buddy stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You can't wait too long. If you do that we may lose our chance." Another of the men gathered around the table said.

"I'll handle this. I have to get a few of the moving parts to work together first. Give me two weeks. Two weeks is all I need. In two weeks I'll be on a plane and I will make our offer. You all need to work on getting the funding together." Buddy took a huge gulp of his beer.

"We have that part taken care of. You take of your part." Yet another man said.

"Let me get with the mayor and work the kinks out. This is in the bag." Buddy assured them.

"You better, Buddy. A year without playoff football is not a good year." The first man stared him down.

"I said it's handled and it's handled." Buddy repeated himself.

Philadelphia Two Weeks Later

"Julie, I'm absolutely amazed at how good he is with her." Tami pointed with her eyes to where Matt played in the floor with Gracie.

"All the Taylor girls love him." Julie smiled.

"Don't let your father hear you say that. I don't think he'd be able to handle it." Tami laughed.

"I can't handle what?" Eric walked in fresh out of the shower.

"Nothin', honey, nothin' at all." Tami held in another laugh.

"Hey, Coach, how does it feel to have another state title?" Matt changed the subject quickly. Things had just gotten good between them again he didn't want anything to mess that up.

Eric bent down and kissed his youngest child's head. "Gracie Belle, keep an eye on this one will, ya? He's trouble when he wants to be."

"Matt is a good boy, daddy." Gracie said in her cute little voice.

"Good save, Gracie." Julie laughed at her little sister.

"I'll just get the door." Tami excused herself when there was a knock on the door. She tried her very best not to groan inwardly when she saw who it was. "Buddy Garrity, this is a pleasant surprise. Come on in." She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Hey, hon, you'll never guess who's here."

"T Tami Taylor, I think you've gotten even more gorgeous if that was at all possible." Buddy walked into the house.

"Well, hey there, Buddy." Eric greeted him.

"There he is, the man, the myth, the legend, Coach Eric Taylor." Buddy shook Eric's hand enthusiastically.

"I don't know 'bout all that, but it sure is good to see you." Eric eyed him warily. He knew from experience the more compliments Buddy dished out the bigger the favor he wanted.

"Hey, Matt, hey, Julie." Buddy waved at them.

"Hey, Mr. Garrity." Matt waved back.

"Matt, why don't we take Gracie out and let mom and dad talk to Mr. Garrity?" Julie suggested to him. She wanted to get out of the hot zone and she was going to save her baby sister.

"Yeah, that sounds good, Jules." Matt agreed quickly. "Come on, Gracie Belle, let's go get your coat on. We will go see what kinda trouble we can get into." He scooped the little girl up into his arms.

"My keys are on the table by the door. Ya'll be careful and have fun." Tami didn't blame them at all for wanting to get out of dodge. She kissed her youngest. "Be good for Julie and Matt, baby girl."

"Buddy, let's go have a seat and you can tell us what you're doing here. I know you didn't come all this way for nothing." Eric said once the kids had left. He grabbed two beers out of the fridge.

"I'll be in my office and I'll let ya'll talk without me in the way." Tami had no intention of listening to whatever brilliant idea that Buddy had this time.

"Tami, you should stick around this involves you too." Buddy took a seat.

"Something tells me I'm going to need wine for this. I'll be right with you, Buddy." Tami poured herself a glass of wine before joining them in the living room.

"So, what's going on, Buddy?" Eric asked. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to hear this.

"Eric, I won't try to sugar coat this. The Panthers are in trouble. Your team needs you, your town needs you, but most importantly your boys need you. This new head coach is leading them straight to hell. They barely had what constitutes a winning season this year. They were one game over five hundred." Buddy opened up with his flair for the dramatic.

Eric took a sip of his beer and scratched the back of his head. "Gee, Buddy, I'd really like to help you, but I have a team. My life is here now. Besides that, Tami has a job that she really loves."

"Eric, he came all this way at least hear him out." Tami almost couldn't believe the words as they left her mouth. It was the change in his posture that did it for her. Despite the look on his face and the words that had come out of his mouth she knew that he missed Texas football. She had said if being East Coast people didn't work out for them they could always go back.

"I know part of the reason you left was because Tami got this great opportunity. I didn't come up here empty handed when it comes to her. You know me better than that and if you don't you damn well should." Buddy took two different contracts out of his jacket pocket. He put one in front of Eric and the other in front of Tami.

"I do know you. I know you too well, Buddy. That's the problem here." Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Just read it over, Eric. It's a good contract. It's a five year iron clad contract. This one is more money a year than you were making at TMU." Buddy replied.

Eric looked over the contract quickly. "That's somethin' alright."

"T Tami, we wanna reinstate you as principal. That school was its best under your leadership. It has gone downhill without you. Dillon just isn't Dillon without the Taylors." Buddy laid it on thick.

Eric shared a look with Tami and she nodded her head. "I will do you the courtesy of looking this over and really thinking about it if in return you give us both a couple weeks to get back to you."

"I can give you two weeks to get back to us. We can do that for sure. I'll tell you what. I'll come back out here in two weeks and I'll take ya'll to dinner." Buddy agreed to that. He stood up to go.

"Buddy, you don't have to go so soon. Stay, please. I'll call Matt and Julie and have them bring something home for dinner." Tami couldn't let the big harmless idiot leave without feeding him. Despite everything he'd been a good friend to Eric and to her over the years.

"I wouldn't want to impose." Buddy put up an argument that wasn't very convincing.

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Eric quipped.

"Buddy, don't be ridiculous. Eric, be nice. I'm calling Julie right now." Tami picked up her phone.

"How soon are you going back to Texas, mom?" Julie answered her phone.

"You hush. There's a reason that Matt and Gracie Belle are my favorite children." Tami retorted.

"Matt isn't even your son, mom." Julie scoffed at that.

"Well, he's almost my son-in-law and that's close enough. At least he knows how to be sweet. Can ya'll please pick up something for dinner?" Tami laughed softly.

"Yeah, we will pick something up, mom. See you soon." Julie replied.

"I'll see you soon." Tami said before she hung up.

* * *

One Week Later

It was week before Eric and Tami got a chance to talk about the contracts that they had been offered. Tami was busy with work as usual. As Dean of Admissions she worked much later hours than she ever had as principal or guidance counselor. Most of the time Eric made it home before she did. Tonight was no exception to that rule. She was actually later than she usually was.

Eric was sitting up on the couch with a beer waiting for her. His hair was tousled like he'd had a nap at some point. "You're later than usual."

"I know. And I know we need to talk. Let me change out of my work clothes and I will be right back." Tami kissed the top of his head.

"I'll be right here waiting for you." Eric stretched out.

Tami back out to the living room five minutes later. She was wearing a Pioneers t-shirt and sleep pants. "Ok, let's talk about this."

"That coaching offer is better than any I'm ever gonna get for high school. But you love it here and I'm not going to ask you to leave. I said it was your turn and I meant it." It killed Eric's soul a little to turn this contract down, but he would live.

"Buddy must want you back in Dillon very badly. This contract isn't just for principal. There's an advisory panel to the Texas state department of education that they want me to head up. The pay is damn good too. It's more than I'm making here. It's a really great offer." Tami informed him.

Eric clasped his hands together and leaned forward on his elbows. "It's up to you. What do you want?"

Tami got up and took something out of her briefcase. "I want his and hers closets." She handed it to him.

Eric looked at a listing for a house in Dillon. "His and hers closets. We can manage that. Are you sure about this? I know how much your job means to you."

"I'm positive, Eric. I like my job, but I don't love it. I feel like I made a bigger difference and I could help more students when I was counselor or even principal than I do now. It's way too many hours and not enough reward. I feel about this job the way you felt about the TMU job. It keeps me away from my family too much. And I know that you're not completely comfortable here. I know that you tried for my sake. I love you for that, but I want you to go home to the job you love." Tami reassured him.

"Babe, you don't have to do this just for me." Eric put up a weak argument.

"I'm not doing this just for you. I'm doing this for me too. Besides that, I want our baby to be born in Texas like the other two were." Tami watched him to gauge his reaction to that.

"Wait a minute. Did you just say our baby?" Eric's eyes got wide.

"Yeah, I said our baby." Tami handed him an ultra sound picture. That was her reason for being so late getting home.

"I'm gonna take your word for that being a baby. You know that I can't read those things. Come here." Eric pulled her into his lap. "I love you so much. You know that?"

"I love you too, babe." Tami put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him.

Five Months Later

"Eric, we're lost just admit it and ask for directions." Tami groaned. She didn't remember the cross country move being this stressful for them the last time. She'd admittedly hadn't been seven months pregnant then either. Everything Eric did or didn't do irritated her.

"We are not lost, however I will gladly pull over and let myself get lost. Even better I will stop this car and let one of the Riggins brothers drive you." Eric threatened her. Both Billy and Tim had driven up to help them move what they couldn't ship.

"You wouldn't dare." Tami glared at him.

"I would dare. And I'll make sure it's Billy. You know how much he likes to talk." Eric bantered back.

"Do it and see how much you regret it, Eric." Tami cradled her belly lovingly. "Your daddy is being mean. He isn't normally like this."

"Ok, I think we need a break." Eric announced. If he didn't get out of this car with her even for five minutes he was going to strangle her.

"I'll call Matt." Tami picked up her phone. Matt was driving her car back to Texas. Julie and Gracie were already at the new house waiting for them and getting it ready. Or rather Julie and Tyra were doing all the work while Mindy kept an eye on Gracie.

Eric pulled off the highway at the first exit he came to. Luckily there was a gas station right there. "I don't know why I'm asking you this, but do you need to use the bathroom?"

"I'm seven and a half months pregnant of course I need to use the bathroom." Tami rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, just go and take your time. It'll be good for you and the baby both if you stretch your legs." Eric replied as calmly as he could.

"How goes the ride so far, Coach?" Tim smirked. He was already getting a case of beer.

"We crossed time zones a while back it's not noon here yet. Part of me is tempted to have Matt get in the car with her. That should answer your question." Eric spoke through gritted teeth. He grabbed a drinks for him and Tami.

"Coach, she's pregnant and cranky and uncomfortable. You gotta keep her happy. Feed her, tell her how pretty she looks, don't argue with her." Tim advised him.

"Riggins, shut up, but you're on to something there. She needs snacks and with any luck she will sleep through the next few hours. I love the woman and I'm over the moon that she's giving me another child, but I just need her to shut up. I've been in the car with her since yesterday." Eric sighed.

"Hang in there, big guy, it's almost over." Tim patted his back.

Eric met Tami back out at the car. He handed her a bag of snacks. "Here, lover, see if you can't find something in there to satisfy you."

"Eric, you brought me snacks. Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more than I already do you go and surprise me. Thank you, baby. I don't mean to be so crabby." Tami leaned over and kissed him.

"You're welcome, it's ok, I know that you don't mean it. That being said we should probably get a move on before Mrs. Riggins has a stripper pole installed in our bedroom. And before Tim is too drunk to unload any of this heavy stuff." Eric teased.

'I won't say no to a stripper pole in the bedroom if it helps me lose this baby weight when the time comes. Don't act like you would hate it either." Tami laughed.

"Now, don't you go putting ideas in my head. I have important football plays out there that I'm formulating fight now. I can't have the image of you on a stripper pole in the way." Eric kissed her to show her he was just playing.

"The thought of me on a stripper pole better get in the way of your football plays." Tami nudged him playfully.

* * *

A Month and a Half Later

Tami sat in a rocking chair in the baby's nursey. She was folding clothes and then telling Gracie where to put them. Eric was out scouting the summer league football teams to get an idea of what he had to work with. It wasn't like he'd gotten much of a choice on that one. Buddy had just shown up and drug him along with him.

"Here's another one for you, Gracie Belle. It goes in the top right drawer." Tami handed her a onesie. She waited until the little girl had turned her back to grab her belly in pain. "Hey you, stop being so rough in there." At least she thought that was the result of a hard kick.

Gracie walked back over and put her hands on Tami's belly. "Be nice, baby." The baby kicked in response.

"Did you feel that kick, Gracie Belle?" Tami grinned at the expression on her daughter's face.

"I feel it." Gracie's eyes lit up.

"The baby says hi big sister." Tami and Eric had been trying their best to get her excited for the new baby. "You ready for some more clothes?"

Gracie nodded her little head.

Eric came home to find both his girls passed out in the rocking chair. He wasn't sure how Tami made that one work, but he'd learned a long time ago that she was basically a wizard with parenting when compared to him. He kissed Gracie's head and then his wife's.

Tami opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Eric, you need to take me to the hospital. The Football is coming."

"Are you sure?" Eric asked her dumbfounded.

"I've done this twice before I know what it feels like. Get me to the hospital." Tami repeated calmly. She could always count on Eric to freak out in the beginning, but he always pulled it together.

"I'll get the bag." Eric retrieved the hospital bag.

"What about this one?" Tami looked down at Gracie.

"Don't worry I'll take care of it." Eric assured her.

"I have just one question for you." Eric stood out in the hall with Gracie while Tami's doctor examined her.

"Shoot, Coach." Tim replied.

"Are you sober?" Eric had never known him to be completely sober, but he was hoping he'd caught him early enough.

"I'm stone cold sober." Tim looked him in the eyes as he spoke.

Eric handed Gracie over to Tim. "She's all yours then. Julie should hopefully be here soon. Whatever you do take good care of her."

"I've got this, Coach. She loves me. She's in good hands. I'll hand her off to Jules as soon as she gets here. I'll keep her nice and occupied. Let her run around my property for a little while. You just go worry about Mrs. Coach and the little Football." Tim reassured him.

"Riggins, I mean it." Eric leveled him with a hard stare.

"She's safe, Coach. I promise you." Tim stared back into his eyes.

"Alright, son, I trust you." Eric finally relented. He kissed Gracie's cheek. "You're gonna go have fun with Tim. Be good for him. Matt and Julie we be by to pick you up soon, Monkey." He tickled her side.

"Come on, Gracie Belle, you're my date for today." Tim carried her away.

Eric went back into the birthing suite to be by Tami's side.

"Is she with the sitter?" Tami clutched his hand.

"She's all taken care of." Eric neglected to tell her how he'd taken care of the situation though. He knew better than to get her started right now.

Six hours later a loud ringing cry filled the room.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy boy." The doctor told them.

After Eric cut the cord a nurse carried him off to be cleaned up. She brought him back and placed him in Tami's arms.

"He's so beautiful, Eric. Just like his daddy." Tami teared up.

Eric stared at his only son in awe. "Hey, little man, I'm your daddy."

"Welcome to the family, baby boy." Julie had come into the room as soon as she got there. She had been in the room when her sister was born and her parents wouldn't have had her miss out on this time.

"Julie, why don't you go out and let Matt and Gracie know he's here? Your mother and I have something to discuss." Eric suggested.

"Sure thing, dad." Julie agreed.

Tami gave Eric a look. "I gave you Texas I get the name." They had known all along that he was going to be a boy. That's why he was referred to as the Football.

"I can live with that name, but since he's going to be the only grandson let me make a suggestion." Eric leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

"I love it, babe." Tami smiled up at him.

Matt and Julie brought Gracie in once Tami had been moved to a regular room and was presentable.

"Matt, sit her down on the bed please." Tami requested. She had the baby in her arms.

Matt sat the little girl down. "There you go."

"Julie, Gracie Belle, this is your baby brother Eric Royal Hayes Taylor." Tami introduced them.

"She named him. I'm not that vain." Eric defended himself.

"Dad, you deserve it. It's not a bad thing." Julie rubbed his arm. "What are we calling him?"

"Hayes," Eric said.

"Royal," Tami answered at the same time.

"Those are both equally Texan names. I think we are gonna have to try them out." Matt became the mediator.

"My vote is for Hayes it's unique." Julie made her choice known.

"What do you wanna call him Gracie Belle?" Eric deferred to his younger daughter.

"Bubba," Gracie hid a smile behind her hands.

"You wanna call him Bubba. I think that's a good strong name. Bubba Taylor it is." Eric agreed laughing. He kissed his son's head. "Alright, Bubba, this is your big sister, Julie." He pointed at Julie. "This monkey here is your other big sister, Gracie Belle." He pointed at Gracie.

"Eric, he can't even focus his eyes yet." Tami laughed, but she pointed at Matt. "That's your big brother Matty. And I think he wants to hold you. Tell daddy to hand you to him."

Eric took his son in his arms. "Hold your arms out, Matt."

Matt held his arms out. "Now what, Coach?"

"Now, you hold him. Just like you would a football, Matt. Support his head and neck. If you're nervous he'll sense it and be nervous." Eric transferred him to Matt's arms.

Matt settled the boy in his arms. "Hi, little guy, I'm Matt. I guess as the only other guy in this family other than your dad it's my job to help teach you stuff. You ever got something bothering you I'll be there and you can talk to me. Let me tell you a secret you have pretty great parents and they are gonna teach you everything you need to know."

Julie just stared at matt with nothing, but love in her eyes. "Ok, stop hogging him. Let me see him." She expertly took her little brother from him. "Until I hear otherwise I'm gonna call you Hayes. I think it suits you. It's a strong quarterback name."

"Julie, please. There's gonna be a football in his hand as soon as he gets home. Let him enjoy the downtime while he can." Tami groaned.

"Would now be a bad time to tell her that Riggins was teaching Gracie how to throw a spiral?" Matt chuckled.

"Matt!" Eric and Julie yelled at him at the same time.

"You left my baby girl with Tim Riggins?" Tami eyeballed Eric.

"I was desperate and he's good with her. I couldn't get another sitter on that short of notice." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"You know what? I'm not even gonna worry about it right now. I'm too happy." Tami smiled at him.

"I'm pretty happy too right now." Eric leaned over and kissed her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 2

"Now, just wait a minute, Tami. Let me come around and help you. You don't need to try to get him, his bag, and your bag." Eric rushed to get out of the car before she could try to do everything for herself. "I will take that," He put the diaper bag on his shoulder. "I will take that." He put her bag on the same shoulder. He tickled the baby's belly and unstrapped him from the car seat. "You can take this thing here. I think he's kinda important or something."

Tami took the baby. "Hi, handsome. Tell daddy that you're very important."

Eric put his hand in the small of her back and guided her to the front door. "Here we are, little man."

"Hayes, this is your home. You are gonna make so many memories here. After you get settled in I'll let daddy take you out back and show you the yard." Tami cooed at him. They were trying out his different names to see which one suited him better.

Eric opened the front door. He winked at Julie and Gracie who stood in front of a welcome home banner. "Would you get a look at this?"

"Baby boy, you have the sweetest sisters ever." Tami held him up so he could see his sisters.

Eric dropped the bags he'd come back for them later. "It's time to show him his room." He was excited for Tami to see the nursery. He hadn't exactly been finished with it when she'd gone into labor.

"Matt is putting the finishing touches on it now." Julie whispered to her father.

Eric nodded his head. "Gracie Belle, go check on Matt make sure he's keepin' outta trouble."

Gracie scampered off to get Matt.

"Hey, Coach, Ms. Taylor, uh you can bring the little guy on back to his room now." Matt's shirt was splattered with paint and he had paint in his hair.

"Matthew, how many times do I have to ask you to call me by my name? What did you do?" Tami laughed.

"Sorry, Tami." Matt blushed a little bit. "Come on back and see."

"Matt, this turned out nice. This turned out really nice. That was good work, son." Eric praised him. He had asked Matt to paint something on the wall behind the baby's crib.

"Matt, that is perfect." Tami stared slack jawed at the football, the Panther's helmet, and the championship ring on the wall. He'd gone into a lot of detail.

"Coach asked me to do something nice for Hayes. I thought that this would be good. He can keep it as he grows up. And if he doesn't like it I can always do something else he likes. The football and helmet are dry I would give the ring a little longer to dry. It's safe to lay him in here and everything though I painted it with the window open just in case and I used water based paint." Matt stammered a little.

"Matt, this is better than I could have ever hoped for, son. If you need that for your portfolio or somethin' go ahead and take a picture of it. Thank you, for doing this." Eric squeezed Matt's shoulder.

"Ah no, Coach, I don't need it. I know with the women in this family I played with fire messing around inside his closet, but I put a little something special in there too. This one is dry. I painted your Lion's championship ring in here." Matt opened up Hayes' closet and showed it off.

"Matt, you did an extraordinarily good job in here. There aren't words for how beautiful this is." Tami gushed.

"It was nothing, Tami. Like I said I wanted to do something nice for Hayes. Cause like, like you said I'm his big brother. I don't have anywhere I can paint the Pioneers ring yet, Coach, but I'll find a spot to paint it next time." Matt rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is just real nice, Matt. You did me a huge favor with this one." Eric put his arm around his shoulders. "I need another favor from you. I want you to grab Riggins. Tim not Billy. Billy's a good kid, but he gets overly excited and I want him focused on defense. But take Tim and ya'll go down to the summer league to watch them play. Be casual about it. I want you to tell me who you think should be QB One for the Panthers this season."

"Yes sir, Coach." Matt was honored that Eric thought so highly of him.

Eric turned to Tami. "It's time to get you off your feet and onto the couch or in the bed whichever you prefer."

"The bed he's about ready to go down and I should sleep while he does." Tami replied.

"That's what we will do then." Eric nodded his head. "Julie, can you keep an eye on your sister while I get your mom and the baby settled in?"

"Of course, dad." Julie held out her hand to her sister. "Come on, Monkey. Let's help Matty clean his brushes out."

Eric led Tami and the baby back to their bedroom. "Climb on in there." He pulled the covers back for her and took the baby from her.

Tami got into bed with a sigh of relief. "You are perfect in your own way."

"Thank you, you're pretty amazing too." Eric replied. He walked over to the bassinet and debated the wisdom of laying Hayes down in it. "Hey, Matt! Did we ever figure out what that extra piece was for?"

Tami jumped a little, but she smiled.

Matt stuck his head in the door. "It's fixed. Don't ask how it got fixed."

"How'd it get fixed?" Eric asked.

"Julie fixed it. She said that we should have read the directions." Matt replied.

"Of course, thanks, Matt." Eric laid the baby down. And breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't fall down.

"You're welcome, Coach. I'm gonna go get cleaned up so I can go scout that game for you." Matt excused himself.

Eric turned around to see Tami staring at him. "What are you lookin' at me like that for?"

"You've forgiven him for proposing to Julie so young. You trust him and value his opinion. And you treat him like a son. You're gonna miss him when they go back to Chicago." Tami listed off.

"Tami, your sleep deprived brain comes up with crazy, crazy things." Eric leaned over and kissed her. "Get some rest. I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for being so amazing." Tami grinned.

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need anything." Eric blew her a kiss and retreated from the bedroom. He sank down on the couch and ran his hands over his face.

"Hi, daddy," Gracie jumped up on the couch next to him.

"Hi, Monkey Noodle." Eric cuddled her and turned the tv on.

"Matt, is taking me to Tyra's. We will drop lunch back by here for you so you don't have to leave. If you need anything else call Matt." Julie kissed his cheek.

"Mhmm, we will be here napping if you want or need anything." Eric replied.

* * *

"Hey, Seven, check out this kid's arm." Tim drew Matt's attention over to a quarterback.

"I saw the arm. His feet are slow and he's not very accurate. Coach could work with him. He's a sophomore he got some playing time last season. I think that's the problem here though we don't have a good prospect for QB." Matt replied.

"He's big we can speed him up. He's got power behind those legs. I like him for my old position we could turn him into a monster, Seven. I think you and I both like the same kid for QB One. He's not a Vince Howard or a JD McCoy, but he's good and with some work he could be great. We have to build up the running game though." Tim rubbed his chin.

"We agree that Austin Miller should be QB One?" Matt asked to make sure that they were on the same page.

"Yeah, we agree. Coach has an uphill battle with him, but he's the one that can be turned into a solid QB." Tim nodded his head.

Matt pointed at the kid who was currently playing QB. "That kid is Denny Bishop. How do we convince him to switch from QB to fullback?"

"That my friend is the question of the hour. The boosters normally handle this stuff." Tim pushed his hair back.

"Coach told them that he was gonna run his team with limited booster interference. It was one of the only ways that he would agree to come back." Matt explained to him.

"How long are you and Jules in town for? I think I have an idea, Seven." Tim got the look on his face that he got when he had one of his bright ideas.

"Julie can stay for the rest of the summer until classes start. I know she's gonna stay for a while to help out with the little one. My boss wants me to check out some exhibits at different galleries down here. I can stick around for a little bit." Matt replied.

"Great, that's great, Seven. That gives us time to work on this. We've got this." Tim bumped knuckles with him. "Let's round up the old gang that's around these pups need to be whipped into shape."

* * *

Tami walked into the living room and put a burp rag over Eric's shoulder. "I did my job it's your turn to do yours."

"Give me that boy. Did he let you sleep long enough?" Eric took the baby. "Come burp for your daddy." He put him over his shoulder and patted his back.

"We both got a pretty long nap in. He woke up to be fed and now he's pretty happy." Tami replied.

"There's that burp. That's the burp of a champion." Eric praised his son. "I'm glad ya'll are up. I missed you both."

"We missed you too. Where are your daughters?" Tami wrapped her arms around his neck.

"They are in the kitchen making lunch with Tyra." Eric reported.

"How's Gracie Belle doing?" Tami was worried that Gracie was going to feel left out.

"We had a nap together and we read six books. We colored. I played dolls and tea party with her. Same old stuff we always do. She made a picture for the baby. She seems to like him just fine. Julie likes him. I think we are ok in that area." Eric rubbed his son's belly and smiled down at him. "You're a hit around here, kiddo."

"He's gonna have to learn to be humble with all this attention. He's the last baby Taylor until he has one of his own. I love this boy, but he took a lot outta me." Tami reached over and traced her fingers across Hayes' head.

"Dad, you want your sandwich in the kitchen or in the living room?" Julie called out.

"I'll take it in here." Eric yelled back.

"Here you go, dad." Julie carried his food in.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate everything that you've been doing around here." Eric replied.

"Don't get him spoiled rotten and then go back to Chicago at the end of the summer. I'm the one who has to live with him." Tami begged her.

"Mom, it'll be fine." Julie laughed. "Tyra, he's finally up you have to come see him."

Tyra came out from the kitchen. "Hey, Mrs. T, looking good."

"Tyra, it's sweet of you to lie to me like that. I know that I have to look as tired as I feel. That little boy took a lot out of me, but he was worth it." Tami replied.

"Here's the man you've been waiting to see." Eric held the baby up for Tyra to see.

"He is so handsome. He looks like you, Coach." Tyra observed.

"I know, poor kid." Eric chuckled. "Go ahead and take him say hi to him. My war council will be here in a minute. Apparently they have a plan."

Tyra took him. "Hi there, pretty boy."

Eric got up off the couch. "Those boys better get here."

"Eric, you're supposed to be making the most of your time off and enjoying your new son." Tami reminded him.

"I am. This isn't a meeting with my actual coaching staff. It's just Tim and Matt. I won't be long." Eric promised her.

Tyra gave the baby back to Tami. "Julie, we have to go. Riggins had one of his bright ideas. We need to get his place ready."

"I don't want to know so I'm not going to ask. We will just go do that and hope for the best." Julie replied.

"I don't want to know either. He's Tim we know better than to question it. Before we do that though we have to pick up my sister, Stevie, and the twins. We have to drop them at my mom's." Tyra shrugged her shoulders.

"Let's get going. We don't want to be late." Julie jerked her head in the direction of the door.

"Riggins, shut up. You've been running your mouth since we left the fields. There are some things better off being left in the past." Matt said as he and Tim walked in.

"I was just saying, Seven." Tim laughed.

"You boys quit messin' about and give me that scouting report." Eric told them.

"Coach, we both think that Miller is your QB One." Matt reported.

"We think that we found you a decent fullback too. He just has to be convinced that he's not QB material." Tim added.

"I thought Miller too. He requires the most work, but he's gonna be the best option. Tell me about this fullback." Eric crossed his arms.

"Hold that thought one second, Coach." Tim took some cash out of his wallet and gave it to Tyra. "You know what to get."

"I've got it covered." Tyra replied.

"Julie, do you need money?" Matt asked.

"No, I'm good in that department, but thanks, babe." Julie kissed him.

"Now, what about this fullback?" Eric tried to refocus the boys' attention.

"He would be perfect. He just needs some work. I'll soften him up for you, Coach." Tim replied.

"That's good work, boys. I appreciate this. Ya'll clear out of here and do what you gotta do before I find more work for you. I'll give you my entire honey do list if you want to stick around." Eric dismissed them.

"Bye, mom, bye dad, we will see you later." Julie kissed both her parents.

"Why don't you go spend some time reading with your daughter and I will hang out in here with him?" Eric suggested once the four young adults had left.

"She's gotta get used to him, Eric. I'll spend some alone time with her after we all spend some time together." Tami laughed and sat down on the couch. "Gracie Belle, come see your brother."

"This is why I married you. You're smarter than I am." Eric sat next to her.

"Hon, I already knew that." Tami winked.

Gracie skipped into the room and sat on the couch in between her parents. "Can I hold him?"

"That's a good question. Come here, Monkey Noodle. I can hold you both." Eric lifted her up onto his lap. "Let us have that boy, mommy."

"Here you both go." Tami helped arrange him in Gracie's arms where Eric was really the one holding his weight.

"You hold on to him nice and tight like you would a football. One hand goes under his little butt and you use the other to support his head and neck. There now you won't fumble him." Eric had his arms underneath hers.

"That's funny. You called him Football when he was in mommy's tummy." Gracie giggled.

"He's a good looking football. Do you think we can keep him?" Eric teased her.

"Yes, he's my bubba." Gracie told him like he should have thought of that.

"That's right he is. Look there, Gracie Belle, his eyes are open. He's looking at you. He knows that his big sister is talking about him. Say something to him." Tami encouraged her.

"Hi, Bubba, I love you." Gracie kissed his forehead.

"That's so sweet of you. He promises not to terrorize you much when he's older." Eric hugged both his children close to him.

"He's a boy he won't be able to help himself." Tami joked.

Eric looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you ever have an idea that you know is bad, but you still do it anyway?"

"Yes, like telling you to take the TMU job and I'd stay here. What's your bad idea?" Tami moved closer to him.

"I lost Crowley. I can do two things I can move Spivey to offensive coordinator and give Billy the defense or I can move Billy over to offense. I think I would really like to make Billy my offensive coordinator." Eric replied.

"What about hiring someone else?" Tami rested her head on his shoulder.

"I could risk pissing the boosters off and rehire Mac. That's assuming that he'd be willing to come back and coach with me. Or I could find a new candidate entirely." Eric leaned his head back.

"I thought you told the boosters that they got no say in that part of your job." Tami looked confused.

"I did. Buddy is very clear on that. It doesn't mean I still won't hear it though. Part of me doesn't want to rehire Mac. A really huge part of me wants to move Billy over to offense. He's enthusiastic, he's loyal, and he's a damn good coach. The only thing with Billy is he's easily excitable like a puppy and he's still a relatively young coach. I have no doubt that he can learn. He is passionate about it. He can be taught because he is eager to learn. I think it would be a mistake not to give him a shot." Eric explained.

"I think you need to trust your gut. If you want to take a chance on Billy take that chance. I think you'll regret it if you don't." Tami advised him.

"That's also why I married you. You give the best advice." Eric pecked her lips.

"I married you because I knew you'd be the best husband and father that I could ask for." Tami smiled against his lips.

"You make it easy. You make me wanna be my best for you." Eric winked at her.

"You do a good job of it, sugar." Tami rubbed his shoulders.

Eric closed his eyes and groaned. "We have an uphill battle ahead of us this year. The Panthers just aren't the Panthers right now. The idea of this super team backfired on them. They gave these boys the idea that they are some kind of football gods and they need to be knocked down a peg or two."

"You'll figure it out. You always do. You've taken worse teams than this one and turned them into champions. Just enjoy your children right now. You have a few weeks before you have to worry about it." Tami kissed him again.

"I like the way you think." Eric agreed with her.

"Don't fall asleep you're holding the kids." Tami reminded him.

"I know, I got 'em." Eric mumbled.

* * *

"I never thought I'd be this old and still be going to Panther parties." Tyra commented to Julie.

"I thought once mom and dad got out that I was out. You see how that worked out." Julie replied.

"I don't think this is officially a Panther party. I'm pretty sure that Tim has a cover charge." Mindy spoke up.

"It's just so they can talk to some football players. My dad has made Matt his right hand the last few days." Julie rolled her eyes.

"Don't be unhappy about that. You want him to like his son-in-law. It's a good thing." Mindy assured her.

"I know that it's a good thing. I think he stayed mad at Matt for a little while because he proposed to me so young. Now if he says jump Matt says how high. He obviously trusts Matt and I'm happy about that. I just don't want him to run Matt ragged." Julie clarified.

"I'm sure that whatever they are up to right now Coach Taylor didn't put them up to it. This was totally Timmy's idea. Hey, Julie, I know you didn't come over here without a picture of the crown prince of the Dillon Panther's on you." Billy walked over to them.

Julie pulled up a picture on her phone and showed him. "That's Eric Royal Hayes Taylor, my mother named him. I don't ask questions."

"That's one sturdy looking boy. He's pretty big isn't he?" Billy marveled.

"He was eight pounds and ten ounces when he was born." Julie reported.

"He's gonna be a monster on the football field." Billy really was like an untrained puppy.

"Let him learn to focus his eyes first, Billy." Julie laughed at him.

"Oh God, is that Landry over there with Matt?" Tyra asked.

"Yes it is. Things must be more serious than we even thought if they've called Landry in." Julie shook her head.

"Landry, all you have to do is play it cool and tell these guys how awesome Coach is or some bullshit like that. Seven and I will handle the rest. They won't just take my word for it I have to come in like the hard ass. Seven is his son-in-law. That only leaves you. Take one for the team." Tim used a little smooth talking to get Landry on board with this plan.

"Does Coach even know that you guys are doing this?" Landry asked them.

"If you happen to see Coach around don't mention it to him. He doesn't need to worry about it. Tami just had the baby and this is like our congratulations gift to him. The backfield is gonna suck this year if we don't do this for him." Matt answered evasively.

"You can call her by her name, but you can't him?" Landry asked.

"No I can't, cause he's Coach. Landry, just focus for a minute here. All you have to do is a little talking. Riggins and I have got the rest." Matt refocused him.

"Ok, I can do that." Landry agreed.

"Hey, Nine, One-Three, come over here a minute." Tim called the two boys in question over.

Austin Miller the QB pick was a little over six feet tall and made of lean muscle. "What's going on, Riggins?"

Denny Bishop was right at six feet. He was the more muscular of the pair by far. "Yo?"

"We need to talk to you guys." Matt told them.

"What about?" Austin asked.

"About football. What else would we want to talk to you about?" Tim scoffed at him.

"You two want to relive your glory days as Panthers through us?" Denny clearly thought that he was a tough guy.

"That's a great attitude to have. Coach Taylor is really gonna want that on his team. I've seen him cut guys for less than that. He's a nice guy. Coach is pretty awesome actually, but you've gotta put something in to get something back." Landry was just moving his mouth to make noise.

"See the question is how badly do you two still want to be Panthers this season? Sure this is Coach's team, but he hasn't coached the Panthers in what? Four or five seasons now, Seven?" Tim turned to Matt again.

"This is his first year as a Panther in five seasons. He spent four seasons at other schools. The point is ya'll aren't his boys yet. He doesn't have that bond with any of you. For all you know he could come in and cut all of you from the team." Matt replied.

"Taylor is too nice for that and everyone knows it." Austin scoffed.

"Coach is nice until you piss him off. Or you just flat out suck at your position." Tim went on.

"We don't suck. We don't suck at all." Denny took offense to that statement.

"Why don't ya'll prove it then?" Matt chimed in.

"You name the time and the place." Austin sneered.

"You guys don't want a piece of this. You can't handle it." Landry tried his hand at trash talking.

"Tomorrow night Herman Field full pads and gear. Your best against our best. Spread the word we'll see you then. We will see if you're up to our standards." Tim threw down a challenge.

"You're on, Riggins." Denny agreed.

"Come on, Bishop, let's go round the boys up." Austin jerked his head and they walked away.

"Nicely done, Riggy," Matt held out his fist to him.

"You too, Seven." Tim bumped knuckles with him.

"Have either of you thought this through all the way? You realize this isn't like those times we get drunk and turn the lights on. There's gonna be way too many people to escape everyone's notice. How do you wanna handle that?" Landry pointed out a pretty serious problem to them.

"It's just too bad that we don't know anyone who can authorize that isn't it?" Tim looked hard at Matt.

"I'm not asking her. You ask her." Matt put his foot down on that one.

"I'm not asking her she knows that I'm trouble. Let me see your phone." Tim replied.

Matt handed his phone over even though he knew no good could come of it. "Here,"

Tim scrolled through his contacts and called the one he wanted. "Here, Landry, you talk to her."

Landry put the phone up to his ear confused as hell as to what was going on.

"Matty, is everything ok? Do you and Julie need a ride home? I can wake Coach up." Tami's voice came from the other side of the line.

"Hey, Principal Taylor, uh it's Landry on Matt's phone. Apparently him and Tim are both cowards." Landry stammered.

"Landry, what's this about?" Tami asked patiently.

"Well, we were wondering if it would be ok if we used Herman Field tomorrow night. We're not gonna make a mess or destroy anything. We just wanted to use it for a friendly game." Landry made it sound innocent.

"Here's what I'll do for you if you happen to get caught I'll tell the cops not to worry about busting you. I'm trusting you, Landry. Don't make me regret this. You can tell Tim Riggins that if he lets this get out of hand his grandchildren will be serving detention for me. And tell Matt to bring some milk home for breakfast." Tami sighed into the phone.

"Yes, ma'am, Principal Taylor. I'll tell Tim that it's his ass if anything happens and I'll have Matt bring milk home. Congratulations on the baby by the way." Landry flipped Tim and Matt off.

"Thanks, Landry, you're sweet. Tell my son-in-law and Tim to man up next time and ask me themselves. If you want to start setting up tonight you can come get Coach's keys." Tami replied.

"I'll see what they want to do. Thanks again. You and Coach have a nice night." Landry hung up. "I could kill you two for that."

"Relax, Landry, you handle her fine. She likes you the best out of the three of us anyway." Matt laughed at him.

"Ya'll just better know what you're doing here. If anything gets messed up she's gonna have my ass." Landry drank half his beer in one gulp. With friends like these he didn't need enemies.

* * *

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying this. I'm still getting a little bit of a feel for what it's going to be like, but I promise if you bear with me I will make it worth your while. Until next time please review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Before I give ya'll these keys these are the rules. If you make a mess clean it up, no drinking on the field, and Landry is in charge." Tami held up her set of keys to the field house.

"Sounds good, Principal Taylor. I will make sure things don't get out of hand." Landry took the keys from her.

"One other thing don't touch anything in Coach's office. We all know how grumpy that man can get. And, Landry, you can call me by my name. I'm just gonna assume that you and Tim spent the night on my couches. If you're that familiar with us then you need to at least call me by my name. I know that Coach will always be Coach to you boys." Tami replied.

"Yes ma'am." Landry and Tim answered in unison.

"Look at this, Hayes, Tim and Lance both came by to say hi to you and my guess is they stayed the night after a cab dropped them off. These young men all know what would happen to them if they drove drunk. They also better be here to visit with Jules and Matt. There's no way that they can be here to bother your momma with somethin' stupid." Eric talked to his son, but his words were meant for his former players.

"We all took a cab here after we had a few last night, Coach." Landry assured him.

"Good, see there. They were worth all the time and effort I put into them." Eric spoke to the baby again.

"So this is future QB One? He's good and sturdy. Looks like he's got four state championships in him." Tim commented.

Hayes started to fuss a little bit.

"What's wrong with him, Eric?" Tami asked.

"I think he's just making his presence known. He's giving these boys hell. He knows that they need it to behave themselves." Eric stared at his son totally in awe of him.

"I think that you need to give him here and make a quick run out to the store. We are out of just about everything." Tami took the baby out of his arms.

Eric grabbed his keys off the hook. "Give me the list. I'll be quick about this."

Tami handed him the list. "Make sure you get everything on the list, hon. I really don't wanna have to send you out again when you get back."

"I'll get everything on the list. I always do. I'm amazing at running errands." Eric kissed her. "Gentlemen, I look forward to not finding out what the hell you're up to. I asked for a scouting report not a damn class reunion. Get it done, boys, get it done." He put his hat on and walked out the door.

"He doesn't know what you're up to? I thought he put you up to this." Tami put the baby over her shoulder and patted his back.

"He put us up to scouting out the team. Riggins used some of his logic for the rest of it. It snowballed from there." Matt explained.

"It's a great plan, Seven. I want them to not like us. If they don't like us they will try to impress us. If they try to impress us they are gonna bring their best game. That's also where they are gonna make their mistakes. When they make their mistakes then we know what they have to work on." Tim explained his thought process.

"I never thought I'd say this about Tim Riggins of all people, but that makes sense." Landry agreed.

"Of course it makes sense. I have better ideas than people give me credit for." Tim defended himself.

"Yeah, it made sense until you got carried away and told them that we would face them tonight. I hate to tell you this, but a quarterback, a fullback, and a kicker, don't make a football team." Matt pointed out to him.

"Seven, it's Dillon. All we have to do is light the Panther signal in the sky we will have players." Tim had grown a brain for a minute and then promptly lost it.

"What ya'll need is a playbook. You need a playbook and you need to call Buddy. If anyone can get ahold of former Panthers' players it's him." Tami pointed out to him.

"Mrs. Taylor, you just told us not to touch anything in Coach's office. I don't know how we're supposed to get a playbook." Landry scratched his head.

"I'll get you a playbook if it gets you out of my house before it's time for the baby to go down for a nap." Tami handed the baby to Matt. "You go see Matty I will be right back." She kissed her son's head.

Matt settled the baby in his arms. "Hayes, you see that long haired moron right there? You don't become friends with people like him. They are more trouble than they are worth. But then you remember that he always has your back no matter what."

"You love me and you know it, Seven." Tim laughed.

Matt pointed at Landry. "Hayes, that's Landry. You need one friend like him to offset your friends that are like Tim. That's the long haired moron's name by the way." He pointed at the baby. "Ya'll say hi to Hayes. He's kinda a big deal."

"He wrinkles his forehead like Coach." Landry stared at the baby.

"I can't call him Hayes. He needs a nickname. I'll think it over." Tim replied.

"His other middle name is Royal." Matt told him.

"What's his first name then?" Landry looked confused.

"He has two middle names?" Tim arched his eyebrow.

"Matt, tell them his name." Tami came back into the room with Eric's spare playbook. "This is Coach's spare don't lose it." She handed it to Landry.

"His name is Eric. I don't think he likes to be called that. I've tried Royal and I've tried Hayes. Hayes is the only name that doesn't cause him to make a face." Matt replied.

"No worries, kid, I've got you covered. You'll have a nickname in no time." Tim got into the baby's line of sight.

Landry shook his head. "Hayes, you don't want that. He comes up with bad nicknames."

"Don't get mad just because I used to call you Ginger." Tim laughed.

"Hey, not in my house. Read the room, Tim." Tami groaned.

Tim went to say something.

"Riggins, don't you dare. That is my mother-in-law. If that doesn't mean anything to you she's Coach's wife." Matt warned him. "You know we better go talk to Mr. Garrity. If we stick around and keep the baby from napping we will be dead. Also Coach has no problem with finding work for us." He handed the baby back to Tami.

"Let's get going." Landry jumped on board with Matt's thought train.

"Come on, Riggins." Matt grabbed him by the arm.

"I wasn't even gonna say anything bad." Tim protested.

"I saw the look on your face and I know you. You were gonna say something that all of us were gonna regret." Matt ushered him out the door.

Tami shook her head and laughed. "Hayes, those were just one set of your daddy's boys. They can be a little much. No one knows that better than I do. But they are good boys and they would do anything for us. You were blessed with two older sisters who love you to death. You have this whole network of brothers from daddy being a coach that are gonna be just as crazy about you. That's how we got Matty. Yes it is. I'll tell you all about it after your nap. You're gonna be a good boy and nap for your momma. She needs sleep. If we're sleepin' when your daddy gets home he'll do the dishes and we won't have to worry about it." She cooed at him.

* * *

Eric pushed a cart around the grocery store. He was making sure that he got everything his wife had put on the list so he didn't have to come back out again.

"Coach, hey, Coach!" A voice called from over his shoulder.

Eric looked over his shoulder and started laughing. "I'll be damned. That can't be Smash Williams. He went off to A and M and got too big to come back to Dillon."

Smash walked over and held his hand out. "It ain't even like that and you know it, Coach."

Eric shook his hand enthusiastically. "I know exactly what the Smash is like."

"The Smash has grown up some. I stopped referring to myself in third person as much as I used to. I can't really say I'm surprised to see you back in Dillon." Smash replied.

"When you go pro make sure that it's a team on the West Coast. East Coast winters aren't fun. Buddy came to me and you know what he's like. And then Mrs. Taylor didn't like her job as much as she thought she would. So, we ended up back here." Eric explained to him.

"Don't just bury the lead on me like that, Coach, I wanna hear about the kid. Word on the street is he's the crown prince of the Panthers'. Congratulations, man." Smash smiled widely.

"Don't let Tami hear that talk she'll kick both are asses, but between you and me. I was teaching that kid passing routes in the womb. You've gotta come by and see him while you're in town." Eric clapped him on the back.

"I will for sure, Coach. Did you hear about tonight?" Smash asked him.

"No, what's goin' on tonight?" Eric asked in reply.

"There's a game…" Smash started to say.

Eric held up his hand. "Brian, I will caution you. If the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with Riggins, Matt, Landry, or just what the hell they were talking to my wife about this morning I don't wanna know."

"Coach, I don't really wanna know either, but I do. All I know is full pads and gear tonight at Herman Field." Smash reported.

"Smash, what part of I don't wanna know didn't you understand?" Eric adjusted his cap on his head.

"All I'm sayin', is it might be worth your while to stop by for a minute if you can." Smash reasoned with him.

"They put you up to this didn't they? I see that those coaches over at A and M didn't get you to listen any better than I could." Eric shook his head.

"They won't leave me alone. Riggins texts me more than some girls that I've dated, but not that I think about it. I maybe wasn't supposed to tell you about the game tonight." Smash made a face.

Eric started pushing his cart again.

"Coach, where are you goin'?" Smash chased after him.

"I'm goin' to get the rest of the stuff on Mrs. Taylor's list. If I have any hope of being able to go out and play later all my chores have to be done." Eric showed him the list.

"Give me the list, Coach. I can have most of this stuff in your cart in the time it takes you to move aisles. You just take the baby stuff that's on there and I will get everything else." Smash took the list from him.

"Don't forget anything on that list, Williams." Eric called after him.

"I've got it, Coach." Smash reassured him.

* * *

"You boys lit the Panther signal in the sky and here we are." Buddy met Matt, Landry, and Tim out on the field with a whole host of old Panthers' players.

"Mr. Garrity, no offense, but the booster club wasn't exactly what we had in mind when we said we needed to put a team together quick. The last time most of them worked out was the last time they wore the uniform." Tim ran his hand through his hair.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tim. They are here to help me barbeque while we wait for the game to start. We are tailgating. Your players have been waiting for you to show up." Buddy corrected him.

"This was a really brilliant idea, Riggins. Coach's words yesterday were be subtle. This isn't subtle at all." Matt covered his face with his hands.

"You let Tim set this up." Landry rubbed his eyebrows with his thumb and forefinger.

"What do we have for a team?" Tim ignored Matt and Landry.

"Boys! Come on out your fearless leaders are here." Buddy called out.

"I don't know about these three bein' fearless, but I'll still play with them." Luke Cafferty was on leave from the Army and he'd come down as soon as he'd heard. He emerged from a

"Shut your mouth, Cafferty. You love us. Well me anyway. Seven is the silent type. And Landry is Landry." Tim showed his friendship for Luke in his own way.

"Why do we even hang out of him?" Landry asked.

"I don't know sometimes. I'm pretty sure that this was Coach's idea this time." Matt replied.

"Fine act like I'm not even here." Tinker said.

"Tinker, my man." Tim clapped him on the back.

"Alright, I think we might be a little rusty. We have some work to do before this game. After all the trash we talked last night we can't let them steamroll over us." Matt spoke up.

"Smash isn't here yet." Landry observed.

"If you tell him I said this I'll deny it, but two-zero doesn't need the practice." Tim nodded his head. "Alright, boys, you heard the QB let's get to work."

* * *

"How long did you let me sleep?" Tami got up off the couch and stretched her muscles out.

"You slept through three diaper changes and two bottles. You are up just in time for lunch." Eric replied.

"You cooked, handled feedings, and diapers. I think that you want something, hon." Tami put her arms around her neck.

"My war council got a little carried away and somehow they managed to turn a simple scouting report into an exhibition game. If I don't go out there and at least make an appearance it'll look strange." Eric told her.

"I know and I may have made that a little worse for you. I told them to call Buddy if they needed help getting players together. I figured if he had something to do with his time he wouldn't just show up over here today. I just don't have it in me to deal with him today." Tami rested her head on his shoulder.

"I feel that way every day. And he happens to be the easiest one of the boosters to deal with. He means well, but he's like an overzealous puppy dog." Eric groaned.

"I know," Tami rubbed his back. "Where's my baby?"

"One left lookin' like death warmed over, one is in her room, and one is on the counter. He's been watching football with his daddy all day. He just helped me make lunch for his momma and sister." Eric answered her.

"I'm pretty sure what's wrong with Julie is called a hangover. I think you may have sickened Gracie out on football for one day. I'm sorry that I missed my two boys spendin' time together." Tami smiled up at him. She was so glad that he finally had a son to share his love of football with. She didn't worry that he would push him, because that's what his father had done to him.

"I know what was wrong with Julie. Don't be ridiculous Gracie loves watchin' football with daddy. We are sorry that you missed it too. You just looked so peaceful we didn't want to wake you up." Eric tickled his son's belly. "Hayes, look who's up. I'm pretty sure you were lookin' for her earlier when you were rubbin' your face on daddy's chest."

Tami took the baby out of his bouncy seat. "Come here, handsome. Did you miss your momma? You found out that daddy's chest doesn't work the way that momma's does didn't you? You are so sweet I could look at you all day. Your Aunt Shelly is gonna love you. I talked to her earlier and she is so excited to come see you. She isn't gonna know how to act with a little boy." She kissed him all over his face.

"Your sister is comin'?" Eric's eyes got wide.

"Yes she is. She wants to meet him and visit with Matt and Julie while they're in town." Tami smirked at him.

Eric kissed her cheek. "You're so lucky that I love you."

"You're lucky that I love you too. I put up with your football players all the time." Tami winked at him.

"Ok, I will deal with your sister and I will be civil about it." Eric relented.

"I appreciate you, babe." Tami laughed at him. She looked down at Hayes as he rubbed his face against her chest. "Really? Already? You are a little piglet. You keep eatin' like this and I'm gonna call your pediatrician. I'm not sure that you're gettin' all the nutrients that you need."

"Tami, he's a big boy. He's gonna eat a lot he's fine. If he wasn't gettin' enough to eat you'd know it. He'd be screamin' and cryin' all the time. The only reason I could think that anythin' would be wrong with him is he hardly ever cries." Eric tickled under the baby's chin. "Tell your momma that you're just fine."

"He may be just fine, but his momma's not. Breastfeeding him this much takes a lot out of me. I have to eat just as much as he does. He's only four days old and I'm already starving. What do you think I'm gonna be like after a couple of months of this?" Tami stressed.

"Then you need to eat now while he eats. I'll even get Gracie Belle settled in to eat and you can give me a list of whatever you need done before I leave for this game." Eric sweet talked her.

"The only thing I want you to do before we leave is spend time with us." Tami retorted.

"That is doable." Eric agreed.

* * *

"There's the man of the hour now." Buddy opened his arms wide to greet Eric when he came down to the field.

"Buddy, what the hell is all this?" Eric took a look around at all the people in the stands.

"This is just a friendly game of football between your former players and your current players. The Old Dogs versus the Young Guns is what we're callin' it." Buddy replied.

"You got refs and announcers. This hardly seems like a friendly little game of football to me." Eric observed.

"We had jerseys made for this and everything. You know how we do things around here. We just have to get you back in the groove. Remind you what Texas football is like." Buddy clapped him on the back.

"I haven't forgotten what Texas football is like. I know where I come from." Eric clenched his teeth. "Where are my teams?"

"Here they come now." Buddy pointed to where both the teams made their entrance onto the field.

The former Panthers' players wore blue jerseys with the words Old Dogs written across the front. The current players wore white jerseys with the words Young Guns on them.

"This should be interesting to say the least." Eric commented dryly.

"I think it's gonna be one hell of a game." Buddy replied.

"I better get over to the sidelines." Eric shook his head.

"We called Mac in. He will take whichever team you don't want." Buddy told him.

"Mac can take the kids I'll take the older guys." Eric adjusted his hat and went over to the sidelines.

"What do you want the coin toss call to be, Coach?" Matt asked.

"If we win we want to be on defense. Some of you are out of practice and need a minute to watch the game and get a feel for it again." Eric smacked his shoulder pad.

Matt, Smash, and Tim walked out to the center of the field holding hands. They were met by Buddy Jr, Austin, and Denny. The Old Dogs won the coin toss.

"Alright, boys, get out there and show them how we play this game. Let's remind them of whose house this was first! Bring it in!" Eric got his team huddled up.

"Let's do this, Coach." Tim smirked.

"Clear eyes, full hearts," Eric started for them.

"Can't lose!" They answered him in unison.

"Clear eye, full hearts, can't lose!" Eric answered back. "Now, let's play some football!" He clapped his hands as the kickoff team took the field.

"Coach, on this one you wanna keep your eyes on number eighty-three. He's one hell of a blocker. The kid that does returns is pretty good too." Tim told him.

"Riggins, get your helmet on when you're on my field. Lead by example, son." Eric scolded him out of habit.

"Sorry, Coach," Tim put his helmet on.

"Show me which kid you mean." Eric said as Landry kicked the ball off.

Tim pointed out the kid he was talking about.

"Eighty-three is good. He's big, but he has great speed and instincts. The returner just seriously ran right into coverage after all those great blocks. That has to be a Freshman." Eric groaned. He could see that he really had his work cut out for him.

"Ok, Coach, this is Austin Miller the QB we were telling you about. We had Coach McGill start him." Matt sidled up next to Eric.

"My God it's a three step drop, son it's not that hard!" Eric yelled as he got sacked. "Jesus, Billy, don't slobber knock the kid just because you can. We need him." Oh yeah, he really had an uphill battle this season.

"Billy just gets a little excited that's all, Coach." Tim explained for his brother.

"I'm well aware of how excited your brother can get. I just don't need him beatin' up on high school kids." Eric replied.

"That was a quick three downs." Matt commented about the action on the field.

"Go take over out there and show them how it's done, Saracen. Like I told Riggins lead by example." Eric smacked the back of his helmet.

"You're not gonna give me a play, Coach?" Matt asked.

"No I'm not gonna give you a play. You saw these guys you know what kind of play to call. At this point you could just stumble around the field with the ball and I don't know that they would be able to stop you." Eric stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Right, Coach." Matt ran out onto the field.

"Well, Coach, I can say that I don't envy you this year." Mac came over to Eric at half time. The score was completely lopsided in the favor of the Old Dogs.

"I don't envy me right now either. It's a young team though. They can be taught. They just need a lot of work. How's retirement treating you?" Eric shook his hand.

"Never better than right this moment, Coach. This is 'bout the sorriest bunch of sons of bitches I've ever seen in my life. How's the new little one?" Mac retorted.

"You and Susan will have to come for dinner so you can meet him. His hands are already better than our current receiver's and his muscles aren't even developed yet. I'm gonna have to run three a day practices." Eric smiled every time he thought about his son.

"Try that one and see how well it goes over with your wife." Mac laughed.

"She'll kick me to the couch." Eric nodded his head thoughtfully. "You wanna take those boys outta the spread and put them in the I formation? I'll run the nickel package against them and see how they do."

"It's your team, Coach. I'll run them any way you want me to. Miller has an arm if you can get him to settle down. He's way too excitable. Though I can't say that I blame him. If I had Billy Riggins charging at me I might piss my pants too." Mac chewed his gum aggressively.

"On one hand it's good for them on the other hand I'm afraid he's gonna hurt one of them or himself." Eric scratched his head. "Coach Riggins, come here!"

Billy ran over and unbuckled his helmet. "What's up, Coach?"

"Keep that helmet on, on my field don't get them boys in bad habits." Eric warned him. "Settle it down some out there. Keep comin' at 'em hard, but don't hit 'em as hard. You're gonna hurt them or yourself. I need you around on the staff not laid up injured at home. If you haven't noticed we have some work ahead of us."

"Sure whatever you say, Coach." Billy nodded his head.

"Go get some water and be ready for the next half of this game." Eric dismissed him.

"I think Billy may have to sleep in a tub of ice tonight, Mindy." Tyra told her sister.

"Good if he's sleepin' in a tub of ice he won't be able to climb on top of me." Mindy snorted.

"He'd just make you crawl on top of him. He's a Riggins pain doesn't stop their sex drive." Tyra pointed out.

"I'm probably gonna have to rub Matt down with icy hot tonight. You'll probably have to do the same for Tim." Julie chimed in.

"No I won't. He's not my boyfriend, he's not my husband, we're not even together right now. I think of Tim Riggins as a tool to be kept in a drawer and only taken out when I need him." Tyra quipped. Things between her and Tim were complicated like they always were.

"Or you just need to keep a toy in the drawer and all your problems are solved. I take that tactic with Billy. He looks at me wrong I end up pregnant." Mindy retorted.

"You are both sick. Being friends with you makes me a worse person and that's why I love you." Julie laughed.

"You should try keeping a toy in that drawer too. It works wonders for me." Mindy went on.

"Mindy, there are high school kids around. I can't take you anywhere." Tyra hung her head.

"Tyra, high school kids probably know more about the subject than I do." Mindy gave her a look.

"The second half is starting." Julie just shook her head at them.

"Cafferty, come here, son." Eric gestured for Luke to come closer to him.

"Yes, Coach?" Luke asked.

"You're taking the snap on this play. No matter what coverage you see out there Saracen is your target. I wanna see that can't spark a little life from the defense. They do what I hope they do and intercept the ball you go all out and try to stop them. I want you to run that play for three straight downs until they get it right." Eric gave him the play.

"Yes, sir, Coach!" Luke snapped his chin strap and headed off onto the field.

"Gentlemen, I want you to take a good look up on that scoreboard. Forty-eight to twenty-seven. That number tells me that we have a lot of work to do. You showed me somethin' in the second half it wasn't enough to make up for the fact that you let a group of mismatched former players beat you by twenty-one points, but it was somethin'." Eric shook his head sadly. "Extremely well played good game, boys. Coach Riggins, you are the old man of the group and you put them all to shame." He turned to his group of old players.

"Thank you, Coach." Billy beamed proudly.

"If every one of you boys dig down deep and give it as much as he just did tonight and leave it all out there on the field we have somethin' that we can work with. Now everyone bring it in." Eric got them huddled up. "Clear eyes, full hearts,"

"Can't lose!" All the players answered him together.

* * *

"Miller, Bishop, come over here a minute." Tim and Matt were on the tailgate of his truck waiting for those two young men.

"You trying to rub it in, Riggins?" Austin asked him.

"After the big game you talked we get to gloat just a little bit. We beat you by three touchdowns." Matt said.

"Like we said you just wanted to relive your glory days." Denny added.

"The thing is you two have promise. Bishop, I see you at my old position. You'd be good there. Miller, with a little work you'd be one hell of a QB. You clearly already hate me and Seven here. Why not let us push you to be your best?" Tim suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" Austin asked.

"You let us work you out and teach you what we know. Think of it as extra coaching before the season starts. It really works. If not for Jason Street I wouldn't have been half the player I was in the playoffs the year we won state." Matt answered him.

"You boys wanna be the new stars of the Panthers'?" Smash had to come over and put his two cents in.

"Forget being stars. Do you want to become legends? We can make that happen for you." Tim laid it on thicker.

"What do you mean by legends?" Denny was intrigued by that word.

"One word, State. If you want to get there you have to put in the work with us now before practices start." Matt chimed back in.

"I see the way your eyes are lightin' up right now. You want in, you want to be shown the way. The work starts tomorrow gentlemen you meet us here at six that means you're here at a quarter til six." Tim didn't give them a chance to turn him down.

* * *

"I'd ask how the game was, but I caught it on the radio." Tami greeted Eric from the couch.

"It wasn't as horrible as I made it out to those boys they showed a lot of potential, but it wasn't great either. I've got one hell of a QB and fullback though. They just don't know it yet. Tim and Matt are gonna get ahold of them boys I think." Eric sank down on the couch next to her.

"Billy played one hell of a game from what I heard." Tami leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Billy has more heart than anyone I've ever met. At the very least I think he earned himself a tryout as offensive coordinator with that performance." Eric threw his arm around her shoulders. "Where's the boy? Everybody keeps askin' about him."

"He's in our bedroom asleep. Please, please, please don't go in there and wake him up. Little piglet had a tummy ache before he went down. He ate too much and I didn't burp him good enough. I felt horrible." Tami looked up at him.

"Accordin' to my watch that's set to Eric Royal Hayes Taylor's schedule he should be up in about a half hour." Eric made a show of consulting his watch.

"He will be. And we agreed that even though we added the Hayes that we were still gonna put the junior on the end of his name." Tami reminded him.

"You gave me Texas you make the rules at least that's what you said when we named him. I'll check and make sure his birth certificate has the junior on it." Eric kissed the top of her head. "I brought you home food."

"What did you bring me?" Tami perked up at that.

"I brought you some barbeque courtesy of my better friends in the boosters' club. Though I think that may have been their way of ensuring future championship seasons. Gotta keep you well fed if we want Hayes to grow up big and strong." Eric mumbled into her hair.

"Just go get my food, babe. I hope that they can settle for linebacker instead of a quarterback. He's tall and he's a little chunk." Tami replied.

"Fullback, halfback, or a safety. I think we could get away with any one of those, but I did start out as a QB coach and that's what people will expect." Eric got her plate and warmed it up.

"Of course he's gonna be a quarterback his daddy was a quarterback. He's gonna wanna be just like you." Tami pointed out to him.

"He be quarterback or any other position he wants as long as he's havin' fun. The minute it stops bein' fun for him he gets to hang up his cleats. I won't ever force him." Eric carried her plate over to her.

"I know that. I don't worry about you forcin' him to play at all." Tami sat up. "This smells good."

"Buddy and the guys made a real party out of this game tonight. I made the boys stay to clean up." Eric sat back down next to her.

* * *

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'll be bringing in more of the characters that we know and a few new ones too in future chapters. Until next time please review.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 4

"Julie, where the hell is Matt? He's supposed to help me put up Gracie Belle's swing set today." Eric walked out of the bedroom.

"Matt had to be at the gallery early to take in a shipment and then he was doing something with Tim. He should be back anytime now." Julie replied. She was lounging around on the couch.

"Gracie Belle is coloring, Hayes is in his swing chilling like the good boy that he is, you're right here. Where's your mother?" Eric asked. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to know the answer to that one.

"She's in her closet. I'm surprised that she didn't wake you up. She's been at this for the last hour. She said that she has to look hot before Aunt Shelly gets here." Julie reported.

"She's so ridiculous sometimes. She just had a baby two weeks ago and I think she looks damn good." Eric shook his head. He didn't pretend to understand his wife when it came to that.

"Dad, I don't think that mom and Aunt Shelly are normal. I mean normal sisters can't be like them." Julie whispered.

"You're right and on this one thing you're smarter than your mother is. The Hayes sisters aren't normal at all. My brother and I compare toys not body parts. My baby sister isn't even like that. That kid is a stupid kid sometimes, but she wouldn't think to do anythin' like that." Eric whispered back.

"First of all thank you I won't tell her that you said that. You and Uncle Mike are super competitive, dad. And I feel sorry for your sister. She has two insanely overprotective big brothers. You need to be nicer to her. She's closer to my age than yours." Julie arched her eyebrow at him.

"I will have you know that I am a delightfully wonderful big brother. I am nice to her. This isn't about me anyway. This is about your mother and her crazy sister." Eric replied.

Hayes fussed from his swing.

Eric walked over and picked him up. "That means he agrees with me and he's on my side."

"Dad, we're all on the same side here. We're on the mom and Aunt Shelly are crazy side. We have to save the two little ones from them." Julie pointed out to him.

"Agreed," Eric put his hand out and waited for Julie to put her hand on top of his. "Ready, break."

"I won't even ask what's going on out here." Tami came in from the bedroom. She was in a pair of shorts and a v neck t-shirt.

"There's nothing goin' on out here at all. I'm just waitin' on Matt to help me put that swing set up." Eric covered quickly.

"I think that you're gonna miss Matty when they go back to Chicago. You've gotten used to having him around." Tami joked with him.

"I'll be fine on my own. I'm just giving him something to do with his hands so he doesn't have a lot of down time to get into trouble." Eric played off just how dependent he'd become on Matt.

Tami put her arm around her waist. "I think it's a good thing I gave you this little man to keep you company." She kissed Hayes' cheek. "You are so perfect. I could just sit and stare at you all day."

"Hey, you still have two daughters you know?" Julie protested.

"I remember one of my daughters. The other one ran off to Chicago with her fiancé and I don't see her anymore. Eric do you remember our other daughter?" Tami teased her.

"I kinda remember her. She got engaged to my old quarterback and moved to Chicago with him or somethin' like that." Eric played along.

"Remember our deal. I can switch sides really quick." Julie threatened him.

"You wouldn't dare, Julie." Eric glared at her playfully.

"I don't know what you two are talkin' about and I don't wanna know." Tami turned to look out the window when she heard a door slam. "She's here, she's here!" She rushed to the front door excitedly and threw it open.

"There's my super sexy big sister!" Shelly squealed and hugged her sister.

"Oh please, Shelly, I just had a baby. I got really fat with this one. Look what he did to my ass." Tami turned around so she could see her ass.

"Tami, you have a great ass you always have. I would kill for an ass like yours. There are women who wish they could be as fat as you think you are after they have a baby." Shelly told her.

"Come on in and meet your nephew." Tami replied.

"That sounds weird, but so good." Shelly walked into the house.

"I know. It's still weird for me to say my son. I'm so used to my two girls." Tami led her into the living room.

"Say hi to your Aunt Shelly, Little Man." Eric waved Hayes' hand at Shelly.

"Tami, he is gorgeous. He looks so much like Eric." Shelly gushed over him.

"He really does." Tami took the baby from Eric. "Shelly, this is Hayes."

"That's what you're calling him?" Shelly asked.

"Yeah, that's what Eric, Matt, and Julie all voted on. Gracie Belle calls him Bubba. I think that's the nickname that's gonna stick." Tami kissed her son's head.

"When you call him that he sounds like one of those Texas rednecks." Shelly commented.

"He does not sound like a redneck. It's adorable and it suits him. He reminds me of one of those big boys that they call that." Tami defended.

Eric and Julie shared a look. It hadn't taken long for those two to get into a disagreement at all.

* * *

"Move those feet, Nine! Stay on your toes. You can't be flatfooted out on that field on Friday nights. If you're not on your toes you're gonna be slow." Tim sat in the bed of his truck in a lawn chair barking orders into a megaphone.

Matt took the megaphone from him. "Drive those legs, One-Three! Use that power that in 'em. If you can't use those legs to push this truck you won't be able to run over defenders on the field."

Austin and Denny were both pushing Tim's truck along a back road that didn't have a lot of traffic.

"Ya'll, this is some Karate Kid ghetto shit if ever I saw it." Smash laughed. He had joined them for this excursion.

"That's exactly what Riggins had in mind when he came up with this." Matt pointed out to him.

Tim reached into his cooler and pulled out a beer. "Landry, how you doin' up there?"

Landry stuck his head out the window. "I'm keepin' it on the road. We're movin' a little slow, but we're movin'."

"Williams, I think it's time for another race. What do you say?" Tim drank half of his beer.

"I say game on." Smash jumped over the side of the truck and banged on the tailgate. "Start her up, Landry."

"Hey, easy with the old girl, Williams. She's delicate you've gotta treat her right." Tim finished the other half of his beer and crushed the can.

Landry gave him a thumb's up and started the truck.

"Line up, boys," Smash lined the two young men up on either side of him. "Matty, give us a count down."

"Down, set, hit!" Matt called out and he blew the whistle that hung around his neck.

Landry pressed his foot down on the accelerator and drove to the next road sign to wait.

"Stay on my hip, boys. If you can stay on my hip you can shake a lot of defenders that aren't nearly this fast. I even slowed it down for you." Smash instructed them.

Austin and Denny were both huffing and puffing by the time they reached the road sign.

Tim had already cracked open another beer and he looked at them over the top of his sunglasses. "What do you think, Seven? Fifty up downs and then they are ready for a break."

"Fifty is a good round number." Matt agreed.

"Miller, Bishop, fifty up downs with the QB and then you can have a break. We'll even let you have a little bit of water." Tim nodded his head.

Matt jumped over the side of the truck. "Gentlemen, we are gonna go on Coach Tim's whistle. Watch my feet and do as do. Stay on your toes. Bein' flatfooted is your enemy." He started moving his feet.

"Bishop remind me again why we agreed to do this." Austin commented to his friend once Matt had finished with them.

"We didn't have much of a choice, Miller. They showed up at our houses two weeks ago and drug us out. We started showing up every morning to keep that from happening again." Denny panted.

"Ya'll quit suckin' air and flappin' your jaws and get some water. You've got one more circuit and then we are done for the morning." Tim ordered them.

"I've got time for one more circuit and that's it. Julie is already blowin' up my phone. And Tami invited you guys over for breakfast. Julie told her that Smash was with us and she wants him to meet the baby." Matt replied.

"That's just so sweet. Landry, Williams, did you hear that? Seven's mother-in-law invited us over for breakfast." Tim had to get a shot in at Matt.

"Riggins, you need to stop playing so much, man. Matty is gonna get tired of you and kick your ass." Smash shook his head and laughed.

"I was just sayin' that Seven has become quite the family man on us." Tim shrugged his shoulders and opened another beer.

"Shoot don't be stupid I'm not gonna turn down a breakfast invitation Mrs. Taylor can cook." Smash retorted.

"That's what I'm saying." Landry agreed.

"Coach won the lottery he got a super smokin' hot wife that can cook." Tim wouldn't deny that.

"Tim, shut up, dude." Matt groaned.

Austin and Denny just stared at them slack jawed.

"What are you two clowns lookin' at? We can easily make that two more circuits at double time, so we don't miss breakfast." Tim told them.

"Riggins, they are gonna be so glad for practices to start so they can be rid of you." Smash leaned up against the side of the truck.

"After everything we've put them through practice will be easy. That was the whole idea." Tim smirked clearly satisfied with himself.

"You are a twisted man, Riggins." Smash shook his head.

* * *

"He really is a clone of Eric isn't he? He has his eyes and he even makes the same grumpy little old man face." Shelly fussed over Hayes.

"I do not make a grumpy little old man face." Eric frowned. The expression on his face was identical to his son's.

"I know that we have an agreement, but, dad, if you had a mirror right now you and Hayes make the same little old man face." Julie laughed.

"That's really what you're gonna call him? I don't understand why you didn't just name him that." Shelly looked at her sister.

"Eric got Texas so I got to name him. I wanted to name my only son after his father. And I wanted there to be a distinction between them so they both don't look up every time I say Eric. I wanted to call him Royal, but I got out voted. Also Eric was bein' sweet by adding Hayes in since he's dad's only grandson." Tami was at the stove cooking.

"God forbid you move for your job for a change." Shelly quipped.

"We did we moved for my job twice. We moved to Philadelphia and then we moved to Dillon. I got a pretty great contract when he got his new contract." Tami went into defensive mode.

Julie gave Eric a look.

"Honey, do you need any help with breakfast? I know that my war council can eat like a pack of hungry wolves." Eric stepped in to keep Tami and Shelly from going to war.

"No I've got it, hon. Matt is supposed to be bringing a few cans of biscuits home with him and that's perfect since those are the last things that I have to finish anyway." Tami replied.

"Knock, knock, we heard that someone needed some biscuits and we made our stooges run from the field house to the store." Tim came into the house carrying a bag with his hat on backwards.

"Thank you, boys. I'm glad I was able to give you yet another way to torture them." Tami took the bag from him.

"Tim!" Gracie ran to greet him.

"Gracie Belle," Tim picked her up in her free arm.

"Gracie Belle, I think your friend Tim has been drinkin' already." Eric observed.

"I don't think he stopped drinkin' from last night to this morning. I had to pick him up before we tortured the quarterback and the fullback." Landry muttered.

"Alright, Gracie Belle, come here before you get second hand fumes off of Tim." Matt took Gracie from Tim.

"Pass her down, Matt. You get to see her all the time." Landry held out his arms for Gracie.

"Go see Landry he gets his feelings hurt if we don't pay attention to him." Matt passed her to him.

"Hey, Gracie Belle." Landry hugged her.

"Don't forget about the caboose here." Smash took his turn saying hi to Gracie.

"Gracie Belle, it looks like some of your favorite guys came to see you." Eric collected his daughter.

"Ya'll come in and make yourselves at home. I'm sure that you want to give Coach a progress report." Tami waved them in.

"Timmy, it's nice to see you again." Shelly smiled at Tim.

"It's good to see you too, Shells." Tim smiled back.

"Brian, come here. There's someone that you need to meet." Eric told Smash.

Smash walked over and smiled down at Hayes. "You must be the little man that everyone keeps telling me about."

"Smash, this is Hayes. Hayes, this is Smash." Eric made a big show of introducing them.

"It's nice to meet you, little man." Smash took the baby's hand and gave him a high five. "Coach, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but if you were hoping for a QB you might not be getting that. Do you realize how big he is? He's a tailback or a fullback if he stays this size. And he's tall."

"Coach doesn't realize how big he is. I can tell you exactly how big he is. I was in labor for roughly twelve hours. And now he eats just about every hour. I don't know how we're gonna afford his food bill." Tami interjected.

"He'll be alright." Eric picked him up. "Come here, we gotta go talk to these knuckle heads and find out if we are actually gonna have a quarterback and fullback when the season starts." He carried him over to the couch.

"They are looking better, Coach. We haven't actually run any football drills with them in a couple of days. We are doing conditioning with them right now." Matt told him.

"What kind of conditioning?" Eric asked.

"It's not really traditional conditioning, Coach." Landry stammered.

"Think of it as the karate kid meets duck dynasty. That's the stuff we have them doing this week. Today they pushed Riggins' truck, did sprints with me, and up downs with Matt. That was after we had them do warmups too." Smash added.

"We've made them toss eggs to each other for every one that they break they have to run a lap. For every streak they build up I take that many laps off of their bill. We're stressing speed, ball handling, and ball control." Tim picked up.

"It'll be a miracle if I have a team left when you're done with them." Eric grumbled.

"Cheer up, Coach, they are doing good. They haven't tried to revolt on us yet." Landry threw out there.

"Lance," Eric pointed his finger at him in warning.

* * *

Tami sat behind her desk in her office at school. She wasn't supposed to be back to work yet, but the football team needed to hire another assistant coach. As principal she got to make this hire herself. Technically she got a say in all hires she'd had to approve Eric being hired, but it was tougher for her to fire him because of the board and the boosters.

"I'm lookin' for Principal Taylor's office am I in the right place?" A young woman dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt stood in the doorway. She was in probably her late twenties or early thirties.

Tami looked up and smiled. "You know you are."

"I figured as much." The other woman smiled back.

Tami got up and hugged her. "Charlie, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to interview for the coaching position." Charlie hugged her back.

"I know that you're a certified health and physical education teacher. You have a good work record and your education is impressive. That's all I need to know. You're hired." Tami made a snap decision. She was going to shake up this little boys' club and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

"Just like that? You don't want to check with the coach first?" Charlie asked her.

"No, I'm not checking with the coach on this one. He's in his office though let's go down and talk to him." Tami grinned.

"You're gonna enjoy this way too much aren't you?" Charlie laughed.

"Of course I am. Any chance I have to stick it to the boosters I take it." Tami replied.

"In that case lead the way." Charlie wasn't going to argue with getting the job that easily.

Eric sat in his office watching game tape with Hayes on his chest. "You see that, Bubba? That's called a solid pass. I don't know if our QB has any of those in him. Matt says that he does, but we will see. Yes, we will." He cooed at him.

Tami knocked on his doorjamb. "What are you two doing?"

Eric sat up and readjusted Hayes. "Hey, back so soon? I thought you had that interview?" He kissed his son's head. "Look there's momma."

"I did have that interview and I made the hire." Tami replied. She walked over and picked Hayes up.

"When do I get to meet him?" Eric asked completely clueless. He didn't bother to look away from his game tape.

"Eric, you really need to be more observant of your surroundings." Charlie got his attention.

"Charlie, what the hell are you doin' here?" Eric got up and gave her a hug.

Charlie hugged him tightly. "I'm not doin' anythin'. I didn't know I needed a reason to stop by now."

"You don't need a reason for anything that you do. And that's why I'm scared right now. The next words that come out of either of your mouths have the potential to put me in a really bad mood." Eric looked between them both.

"Eric, meet your new assistant coach." Tami had a huge smile on her face.

"No, no, no. Absolutely not. It has nothin' to do with her bein' a woman by the way. It has everything to do with her being my annoying baby sister." Eric put his hands on his hips.

"You can do that thing that you and the boosters do and go around me on this one. Or you can really show them that you're gonna be your own man this time around. Kind of stick it to them for that crap they let Joe McCoy pull before. They know that you are their guy." Tami put Hayes over her shoulder and patted his back.

"It makes me no difference dad told me that I'd never find a job coaching football in Texas." Charlie shrugged her shoulders. She knew exactly which of her brother's buttons to push.

Eric sighed, "You two are absolutely terrifying together I want you to know that." He walked over and took a playbook off of his desk. "First coaches' meeting is tomorrow we'll see how this works out. I've got a few holes in my coaching staff and we will figure out where to put you."

"Thanks, Ric," Charlie smiled at him. She had used her childhood nickname for him.

"Don't thank me yet this is probably a horrible idea that won't work out. Thank Tami you're her little pet project you always have been." Eric waved his hand to say it didn't matter.

"Charlie, you're coming over for dinner tonight. Actually, you can come right now if you want to." Tami told her.

"I can do that I have nothin' else to do with my day. I have a bag in my truck. I can change when I get to your place." Charlie replied.

"Wait a minute let's not get ahead ourselves here. Someone needs to be introduced to Charlie." Eric went into proud daddy mode.

"I've only seen pictures I need to meet this little guy." Charlie held her arms out.

"He's gonna love his Aunt Charlie." Tami put the baby in her arms.

"Hayes, that's your Aunt Charlie. You two have a lot in common you're the both the baby of the family. I'm sure that she'll have you just as rotten as she is in no time. You're the only boy and she's the only girl. You two will bond over that." Eric said.

"Hello, Hayes, it's so nice to meet you. I waited my whole life for a nephew and you are so worth it. You look just like my favorite big brother. Yes, you do. Your momma was one of my favorite people anyway, but I love her even more now for givin' me you. We are gonna be best buddies. I'm old enough now that I get to enjoy you. Julie is more like the baby sister that I never had and by the time Gracie Belle was born I was already away." Charlie cooed at him.

"Hayes, Aunt Charlie is so much younger than me and daddy that her first real job was babysitting Jules. Not that I'm really sure if what she did could be considered babysitting. There was no one there to keep an eye on your silly auntie." Tami tickled underneath his chin.

"Look at that smile. This boy is a Taylor." Charlie smiled at Hayes' ear to ear grin.

"There's no question about that. The girls look like their momma and this one took after me." Eric grinned proudly.

"Did you show him around the locker room yet? We all know that he will be playing here one day." Tami asked.

"We did the grand tour when we first came in here. He got a good look at the place. Then he decided that he needed to help daddy watch the game tapes that he's been avoiding for the last week. It was as terrible as we thought the coach they had last season I have nothin' nice to say 'bout him. Gracie Belle coulda coached better than he did." Eric sighed.

"If anyone can turn them around it's you. I'll give you one more day to ignore that while I ignore the budget that I need to do." Tami bargained with him.

"That sounds good to me." Eric agreed. "Coach, I've got three hours of game tape. Watch it for me and see what you think. That's where you and I are gonna start. If you don't mess that up I'll let you stick around." He turned to his sister.

"I can analyze game tape no problem. Just so you're aware I'm going to be doing that from your couch." Charlie informed him.

"This one is sleepin' in a tent in the back yard. I can't have her and Shelly both in the house at the same time." Eric didn't think twice about letting his sister stay over.

"Oh God, not Shelly. You let Shelly babysit me once while you and Tami went to make out and I'm still scarred from it." Charlie groaned playfully.

"And clearly we are both still real sorry 'bout that. We didn't know that it wasn't safe to leave Shelly alone with a five-year-old." Tami bit her lip to fight off a bout of laughter.

"It wasn't that bad. It could have been much worse." Eric grinned.

"You two have no damn idea." Charlie shook her head.

"Come on, now. Shelly just loves you to death. She thinks of you as the baby sister she never had." Tami told her.

"That's the problem. She used to treat me like a little dress up doll and that's why I'm traumatized." Charlie corrected her.

"You're a grown woman now I don't think that Shelly or anyone else can force you to do anything that you don't want to do." Eric pointed out to her. She was probably the stubbornest person that he had ever met.

"I'm just warnin' you both the first time she comes at me with clothes or makeup I will not be responsible for my actions." Charlie gave them a word of warning.

"Warning heard and noted. We won't stop you from defending yourself against Shelly." It was really taking everything that Tami had in her not to laugh.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I thought that I would throw a little curve ball in there and play around with it for a little while. I think that we can go to some interesting places with a woman football coach. Until next time please review.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 5

"I feel much better now that I'm out of those dress clothes." Charlie came into the living room in a t-shirt and athletic shorts. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Because God forbid Charlie Taylor look feminine for even a second." Shelly quipped.

"Shelly, I just got here don't start in on me already. I'll have to hit you with the hardest block that I have in me." Charlie warned her.

"Shelly, I won't even attempt to stop her. You know I'm just about the only person she will listen to. I'm not gonna make her behave if you're not gonna behave." Tami added.

"You're not so little or cute anymore I'm not sure why my own sister still likes you better than she likes me." Shelly retorted.

"Shelly, if it makes you feel any better Charlie likes Tami better than she likes Mike or me." Eric interjected.

"She has every reason in the world to like me better than you two. You boys teased her mercilessly, you wrestled around with her, and you forced her to shag footballs for you. She'd never had anyone to play with her calmly like a little girl until I started coming around." Tami snorted.

"I babysat that kid every day of her young life. I was nice to her. I don't know why everyone thinks that I'm so mean to her." Eric defended himself.

"You and Mike used to try to pass the buck off when it came to her. He couldn't be trusted to watch her and that's why your mom ended up giving you the job full time." Tami reminded him.

"Her and Mike fought like they were the same age. She was a little pistol we were both so much taller than her. I remember she would stand up on a chair and make us stoop down a little and she would proceed to give us hell. She'd say 'Eric, Mike, you better be nice to me.'" Eric laughed as he recalled fond memories of his sister.

"No, no, it was 'Ric, Ike is bein' a jerk to me.' That's how she said your names until she was six or seven." Tami laughed with him.

"They don't have difficult names, but when I was little and first learning how to talk that's how they came out and that's what stuck. I still call them Ric and Ike when I want something from one of them." Charlie shrugged her shoulders.

"You had trouble with a lot of words when you were little. I will never forget what you said to me this one time after I left you alone with Mike to take Tami home. Hold on, where's Gracie Belle?" Eric looked around for his daughter.

"Hon, she's in her room takin' a nap. You're free to say whatever you want." Tami replied.

"Ok, I had taken you home and I came back and started doin' my homework. Little britches there comes into my room all frowned up. So I put my books aside and lift her up on my lap and ask her what's wrong. She asks me are you and Tami fightin'? I ask her why she would think that. And she says 'Ike said I had to stay with him cause you and Tami were off fusion'. I don't want you to be mad at each other, cause I really like Tami.'" Eric started his story.

"This story is hilarious." Tami knew exactly where he was going with this story.

"So I have her tell me exactly what Mike said. And she says somethin' along the lines of Ike said that Tami is one of those girls and that you two wanted to go off alone and start fussin'. That's when it hit me that's her way of sayin' fuckin'. I had to hold in my laughter, because it really was funny comin' from that little bitty thing. I yelled at Mike for sayin' it though cause he was just bein' a jerk. I had to bribe the kid with candy to get her to not repeat that to mom and dad." Eric finished up. He, Tami, and Shelly were all rolling with laughter.

"I don't remember this at all." Charlie searched her memory banks.

"You were only 'bout four at the time. That was part of the reason I got so damn mad at Mike for sayin' that. That and he insulted my girlfriend and I didn't like that." Eric ran his hand through his hair.

"Tami did have a certain reputation for being a wild child. There probably was some truth to you two fooling around before you dropped her off. I mean it did take you sometimes a half hour to say goodbye in the driveway. One night I watched you two making out from the living room window." Shelly chimed in.

"That is not true at all. With mom I would have never risked making out with him in the driveway. We would just sit out there and talk." Tami glared at her.

"I can do you one better than that. Mom and dad were out one night and Eric and Tami were babysitting me. I'm pretty sure I walked in on them doin' a little somethin' other than makin' out on the downstairs couch. All I know is he was on top of her and they both looked extremely guilty when I made my presence known." Charlie reported.

"I know exactly what you're talkin' about and we were just makin' out. You were supposed to have been in bed sleepin'. Don't you go carryin' no tales." Eric made a face at her.

Charlie sat down on the couch and stretched her long legs out in front of her with her feet up on the table. "I don't have to carry tales you did enough that I don't have to make it up."

"Feet off the table. You weren't born in a barn." Tami scolded her.

"Jesus, girl, you have some long ass legs don't you? I think you're even taller than Tami is. Sis, I hate to tell you this, but I think baby sister here might have you beat in the ass and rack department." Shelly let out a low whistle.

"She's also twenty-eight, has never had a baby, and works out two times a day." Tami pointed out.

"I think I'm gonna need to take her out with me and use her as my wing man. Throw a little eye shadow and a low cut top on her we won't have to pay for drinks all night." Shelly eyed Charlie up and down.

"Not only no, but hell no. That is my baby sister you're not pimping her out for free alcohol. You want to drink I'll go out and buy you a whole bottle." Eric put his foot down.

"Eric, she's not exactly a baby anymore. You can't protect her forever." Shelly argued.

"I'm damn well gonna try. When I look at her I don't see a twenty-eight-year-old woman. I see the little girl who would come to me with a skinned up knee or when she'd had a bad dream askin' me to make it better. 'Cause I'm her big brother and I can make anythin' alright. I used to carry her down to the park on my shoulders and run around the playground with her." Eric argued back.

"That right there is what attracted me to him. His good heart and the way that she adored him. Any man that was gonna treat his baby sister like that was gonna treat me right. He was born to have daughters. Here he was Mister Big Bad Varsity QB, but any time she handed him a play phone or a cup with pretend tea in it he played along." Tami stepped in before Shelly and Eric could get into it.

"And it didn't hurt that he was ridiculously good looking, but behaved like a boy scout. Which, you needed to settle your ass down." Shelly winked.

"Shelly, what is your obsession with people's asses? I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, but that is not normal at all. Unless you have some sort of fetish. In which case I wouldn't be surprised and it would explain a lot. As a matter of fact, I think I'd be safer not sittin' next to you." Charlie jumped to her feet.

"I think I just fell a little deeper in love with your sister, Eric." Tami laughed. She looked out the window when she heard a door slam. "Julie and Matt are home. Either that or Buddy has decided that he has a very pressing matter he absolutely has to talk to Eric about right now. But, that looks like Matt's rental."

"They are gonna wake both the kids up from their naps." Eric grumbled.

"Julie, you're the one who wanted to come with me. I told you that it was gonna be borin' gallery stuff." Matt opened the door for Julie.

"Matt, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying you could have told me that we were just waiting around for you to sign a piece of paper." Julie kicked her shoes off at the door.

"Julie, move your shoes out of the doorway." Tami called out. She didn't have to look to know what her daughter had done. She always left her shoes out where someone could trip over them.

"I just took them off. I have no idea how you always know." Julie walked in and a huge smile broke out on her face. "Aunt Charlie!" She ran over and hugged her aunt tight.

Charlie hugged her back. "Jules, look at how grown up you are. You've gotta stop it you're makin' me old."

"I'm so excited that you're here. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you." Julie jumped up and down excitedly.

"I know it has been. I've missed you like crazy." Charlie replied.

"Matty, come here." Julie waved Matt over. She took his hand when he walked over. "Charlie, this is my fiancé Matt. Babe, this is my Aunt Charlie."

Charlie took a moment to really look Matt over. "So this is the fiancé?"

Matt offered her his hand. "It's really nice to meet you ma'am."

"Julie, did he just ma'am me? I've got news for him I'm way too young for him to call me ma'am." Charlie arched her eyebrow.

"He's just being polite you know that you're intimidating." Julie pointed out to her.

"I uh, yeah, what she said." Matt stammered.

Charlie finally shook his hand and laughed. "Relax, Matt, I'm just messing with ya. It's nice to finally meet you. But seriously, you don't have to call me ma'am. She doesn't even call me Aunt Charlie ninety-five percent of the time."

"I think I do have to call you ma'am. When you were lookin' at me just a minute ago that was one of Coach's death glares." Matt replied.

"Momma always did say that Ric and I were more alike than him and Ike or me and Ike." Charlie nodded her agreement.

"Ric?" Matt question.

"Ric is what I call Eric and Ike is our other brother Mike. I keep those names in reserve for when I need to play the innocent baby sister card. It doesn't work most of the time because they know I'm not so innocent." Charlie explained to him.

"Matt, don't be intimidated by her. You're gonna love her as much as I do." Julie grinned. "Don't tell Shelly this, but Charlie is actually way cooler than she is." She said in a stage whisper.

"Hey, I heard that!" Shelly protested.

"Face it, Shelly. I'm younger and hipper than you are." Charlie teased. "Matt, I have some game tape to watch later on tonight once everyone is settled in. I understand that you've been workin' with the QB and the fullback. I'd like you to take a look at them with me."

"Of course whatever you need. Julie and I aren't doin' anythin' tonight." Matt agreed quickly.

"You're going over game tape with Charlie tonight. I'm going out with Tyra don't wait up." Julie pecked his cheek.

* * *

Eric laid on his side with Hayes laying on the pillow next to him. He played with his little hands. "That's it grip daddy's hand real tight now. We gotta get those muscles built up. You get a couple more weeks old and we'll get the football out and let you get used to it."

Hayes smiled and made soft cooing noises.

"That's a real good grip for such a little guy. You're gonna have some big hands, but for right now I'm ok with you just bein' my little buddy. We have time for all that other stuff later." Eric tickled his belly.

"Babe, you are so in love with him. I've been standing over there watching you for the last five minutes and you didn't even notice me." Tami laid on her side of the bed. "Hi, Hayes, did you have fun with daddy while momma was in the shower?"

"He did we're workin' on his grip. He's gettin' pretty strong already." Eric reported.

Tami smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. "It's crazy havin' your sister back home isn't it?"

"She's was gone what? Ten years? Yeah it's weird, but it's good to have her back." Eric replied.

Tami gave him a look. It was one of those looks where she shouldn't have to say anything else for him to understand what she meant. "Eric, don't you think it's kinda sudden? She hasn't been home in years."

"It's Charlie there's never been any rhyme or reason to anythin' that she does. I don't think there's some mystery to it, honey. Have you ever known that girl to make any lick of sense?" Eric knew the look that his wife was giving him very well.

"I think you should talk to her. I know her well enough to know that she won't just open up unless someone pushes her to." Tami told him point blank what she wanted from him.

"She's more likely to open up to you. For all we know this could have to do with some guy. And would you rather me find out about that first hand from her and fly off the handle or have you tell me and it soften the blow?" Eric suggested.

"That was a really great try, hon. I admire you for it, but no. You need to go talk to your sister. If you think she needs to talk to me then I'll talk to her, but you two know how to communicate with each other without me in the middle. By what she wasn't sayin' I kinda got the hint that she needs her big brother." Tami looked at him harder.

"You mean right now? You want me to go talk to her right now? I'm comfortable and I need the rest before this one here starts screamin' every few hours through the night. I have a very important meetin' in the mornin'." Eric tried to beg off of having to talk to his sister right away.

"Yes right now. Go on don't be a coward. She's not gonna bite. And you know that Hayes doesn't really scream he just whines a couple of times." Tami arched her eyebrow.

"Are we talkin' 'bout the same Charlie Taylor right now? This is the girl that I got out of trouble for beatin' up three boys when she was in seventh grade. Granted they deserved it. The point is she's dangerous." Eric reminded her.

"Eric, I'm in a giving mood tonight. I'm gonna lay here and play with Hayes for a little bit until he gets hungry then I'm gonna nurse him. After that I'm gonna put him down in the nursery for the first couple hours tonight. If you want to take advantage of that mood then you need to go talk to your sister." Tami explained to him slowly.

Eric look confused. "We don't have the green light yet."

"Think of this as plan B. That means exactly what you think it means, but you're not gonna get to take advantage of that unless you do what I asked you to do." Tami grinned at him.

"I will be right back. You just hold that thought." Eric jumped up. He kissed Hayes on the head. "Sweet dreams, I gotta go talk to your aunt. See you when you wake up later."

"And that is how you motivate your daddy." Tami rubbed her nose against the baby's.

* * *

Charlie was on the couch with the tv turned on ESPN.

"Chip, beer or whiskey?" Eric walked into the kitchen. He used his nickname for his sister.

"Grab a couple glasses I have a really nice bottle of whiskey in my bag." Charlie replied.

"Ice or water?" Eric asked.

"Neither you don't need it. This whiskey is that smooth." Charlie pulled a bottle out of her bag.

"I'm gonna take your word for this." Eric grabbed two glasses and walked over to the couch. "Set us up, Chip."

Charlie poured whiskey into both the glasses. "What did Tami bribe you with to get you to talk to me?"

"I find that highly offensive. You are my baby sister and I want to spend some time alone with you." Eric tried to look innocent.

"Eric, you and I are both our father's children. We don't feel the need to pry into each other's lives and business without an invitation to first. So are you gonna ask what I'm doing here?" Charlie picked her glass up.

"What are you doin' here?" Eric picked his glass up. "Cheers,"

"Cheers," Charlie threw her drink back in one gulp. She waited for Eric to finish his drink before she spoke. "I came back because I wanted to. It's as simple as that. I was bored I guess. I was head coach for JV in Charleston. What do you think of the whiskey?"

"You're right it is really smooth. So, are you still in or are you out?" Eric asked her.

Charlie poured them another round. "I'm still in. I'm just not that kind of in anymore. It's complicated and hard to explain. All you need to know is that you have a Marine for a sister and she can kick your ass if she has to."

Eric raised his glass to her. "In that case to my baby sister who only thinks she could kick my ass. Welcome home, Chip."

Charlie clinked her glass against his and drained it again. "I've missed you, Ric."

"I've missed you too. Why would you leave head coach of JV to come here? You had a pretty great shot at making head coach for varsity there. I looked up your stats you're a solid coach. You of course have things to learn still, but you're good." Eric looked at her intently.

"Comin' from you I take that as a compliment of the highest order. I left because I miss home I've been away for a long time. I saw the openin' for coach here and I thought it was perfect." Charlie replied.

"Hey, look at me. If you're in some kind of trouble or if this is about some guy or somethin' you can tell me. I'm your big brother if I need to go kick some ass you let me know and I'll get right on it. If you need some money to get out of a hole Tami and I would be more than happy to help you out." Eric wasn't quite buying her story.

"It's nothin' like that. Ok there was a guy we broke up it was no big deal. I don't want you to think for a second that I left because of him though. It was just time for a change." Charlie shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm just sayin' if you need anythin' we're here for you. You can stay here as long as you need. We are happy to have you. It'll give you a chance to get to know Gracie Belle and Hayes." Eric nudged her knee with his.

"I appreciate that, big brother. Ready for another round?" Charlie held up the bottle.

"Yeah, set us up again." Eric held his glass out to her.

Charlie poured them another round. "Now you can tell Tami that I'm fine and there's nothin' to worry 'bout."

"We care about you. We are always gonna worry." Tami chimed in. She had just laid Hayes down in his room.

"I'm a big girl now, Tami. I don't need you to worry 'bout me, but I do appreciate knowin' that I have you two in my corner." Charlie smiled at her.

"We will always be in your corner. Now, what do you have your brother drinkin'?" Tami sat on Eric's knee.

"Really good whiskey. Do you want some?" Charlie asked.

"I would like that, but I'm breast feeding. I'd have to pump and dump. He is gonna wanna eat again in like three hours. If you haven't noticed your nephew likes to eat a lot." Tami replied.

"Have one drink with us, babe. You'll be ready by the time he's ready to eat again." Eric egged her on.

"Well, since ya'll twisted my arm I might as well." Tami relented.

* * *

"Eric, there you are. I wanted to catch you before you started your meeting." Buddy barged into Eric's office unannounced.

"Buddy, come on in. It ain't like I got a coaches' meetin' to get to or anythin'." Eric grumbled.

"I heard that T Tami snagged us one hell of a promising young coach yesterday. I wanted to introduce myself to him and welcome him to the Panthers." Buddy had no clue what kind of surprise he was in for.

"That's one way of puttin' it. We don't have time for a meet and greet right now. Stick around and you can say hi after this meeting." Eric picked his Panthers' hat up off his desk and put it on.

"He's as good as he looks on paper right?" Buddy asked.

"Like I said stick around and find out." Eric walked out into the locker room. "Alright, ya'll gather up."

"Hey, Coach, it's real good to have you back." Billy greeted him.

"I appreciate that, Coach Riggins. Just one thing before we get started." Eric said. "Hey, Charlie, come on out here!"

Charlie walked out of the media room. She was wearing a Panthers' polo and hat.

"I would like for ya'll to meet our newest coach. This is Charlie Taylor. She's comin' to us from Charleston. She was the head coach for JV over there. And yes she is my sister. Don't go holdin' that against her. She's pretty great when you get to know her." Eric introduced her.

"Billy Riggins, nice to meet you." Billy offered her his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too." Charlie shook his hand.

"Aaron Spivey," Coach Spivey shook her hand next.

"It's a pleasure, Coach." Charlie replied.

"Charlie, this is the war council. Matt, Tim Riggins, Landry Clarke, and Smash Williams." Eric pointed to each person as he spoke.

"Hey, boys," Charlie waved at them.

"What kind of offense did you run over there?" Coach Spivey asked.

"We ran the spread and the I formation." Charlie answered.

"Ok, now that that's out of the way. We have a lot of work to do to get these boys ready for the season. The war council has been working with the back field. Before we get started with practices I want us to all to go over the game films from last season. We have a lot of the same players to work with this season and I want us to see what we need to do." Eric announced.

"Coach, we are still a couple coaches light what are we gonna do?" Billy asked.

"We are gonna do what we can to fill in those holes. I'd like to see if I could maybe get Coach Crowley to come out of retirement and give us a hand. Until then I want Aaron workin' with special teams. Billy, Charlie, I'm gonna be flippin' you two in between offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. When I see who is better suited for what I'll make those assignments permanent." Eric went on.

"That sounds like a good plan, Coach." Coach Spivey agreed with him.

"I started out as an offensive coordinator. Our head coach had a heart attack two games into the season. That's how I ended up in the driver's seat. I got us into the playoffs and they let me keep the job." Charlie threw out there.

"I'll keep that in mind." Eric nodded his head. "That's all I've got for ya'll today. You know when practices start and we will get together before then. I say we all get together at my house next week and compare notes on these game tapes."

"That works for me." Billy crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ya'll get outta my sight we're gonna be spendin' a whole lotta time together soon and I don't wanna be tired of ya already." Eric dismissed them.

"That was one hell of a short meetin', Coach." Buddy spoke up.

"Yeah it was. I didn't wanna keep 'em for too long." Eric replied.

"You gonna introduce me or you gonna make me do it myself?" Buddy asked.

"Chip, come over here." Eric waved Charlie over.

"What do you need?" Charlie arched her eyebrow.

"Charlie, this is our very good friend from the boosters, Buddy Garrity. Buddy, this is the other Coach Taylor." Eric waved his hand between the two of them.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Garrity." Charlie offered him her hand.

"None of that Mr. Garrity stuff call me Buddy. I saw your coaching stats and they are very impressive." Buddy shook her hand enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Buddy. I appreciate that. I think that I can do some good things for this program." Charlie replied.

"Answer me one question. How did a pretty thing like you get into coaching football?" Buddy smiled widely.

"I have two older brothers and a father who are really into football. I grew up around the game. I'm not some dainty little girl who is afraid of breaking a nail. I'm pretty tough." Charlie retorted.

"She's not lyin'. I had to go to her middle school and talk her principal out of suspending her because she beat up three football players for harassing her." Eric chimed in. He knew that he had a battle ahead of him when it came to her and some of the boosters.

"I think you're gonna fit in just fine around here." Buddy chuckled.

"They say most girls are made out of sugar and spice I'm made out of gunpowder and lead." Charlie informed him.

"Eric, I like her. I like her a lot." Buddy smiled wider than normal.

"She's a pistol that's for sure." Eric patted his back.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 6

"Nobody should be up this time of day doing that much." Shelly stared out the patio doors.

"That is why she looks like she does and you look the way you do. And she's really runnin' Eric ragged." Tami replied. They were watching Charlie and Eric workout in the back yard.

"If that's what she has to do to look like that I'll pass." Shelly retorted.

"Enough, enough, you're tryin' to kill me. That's the last time I let you talk me into doin' your workout routine with you." Eric walked into the house panting.

"You're a girl, Eric. And that's an insult to women. Tami just had a baby and she could have handled that better than you did. I barely broke a sweat it was three miles, a few sit ups, and some pushups." Charlie rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh three miles was that all? That was a hundred sit ups and a hundred pushups. I know who I'm lettin' do the warmups before practice. If they can withstand you they can last four quarters." Eric looked at her like she was crazy.

"I think I could put a little somethin' together. It'd make them hate life in general and me specifically. You wouldn't believe what I have in my toolbox." Charlie grinned.

"You're sick and twisted. And the reason we're gonna win a lot of football games this season." Eric bumped knuckles with her.

"Before you two try to take over the football universe maybe ya'll would like some breakfast before the baby wakes up to be fed." Tami looked in between them.

"You sit and relax let me make breakfast today. I think I may by some miracle be able to keep your from feeling like you're starving all the time. Now where is my niece? I need a hand." Charlie volunteered.

"Probably still in bed hungover if I had to guess. You haven't met her best friend yet." Tami replied.

"Not the niece I was looking for. I think that Gracie Belle is a little unsure about me. I don't want her to be scared of me or anythin'. I thought we could bond over cookin'." Charlie corrected.

"She's not scared of you. You're a little rough and tough, but she's used to that from the football players that hang around here. Just let her get to know you. If you're cookin' I'm gonna go take a shower." Eric reassured her. He headed to the bedroom to take a shower.

"One of them had to like me better." Shelly teased her.

"Julie doesn't count I'm closer in age to her than I am to Eric. I know things about that child that I don't want to know. Just so we're clear the boy is gonna like me better." Charlie pointed her finger at her.

"Well of course he is. You can talk football with him and generally teach him how to do daredevil things." Shelly rolled her eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you what a pain in the ass you are?" Charlie tilted her head to the side.

"Yes, I just told her that earlier. She knows she is and she's proud of it." Tami laughed.

Julie guided Gracie into the kitchen with her hands on her shoulders. "It was strongly hinted to us that our presence was requested to help with breakfast."

"Talk to Aunt Charlie about that she's cookin'." Tami directed them to Charlie.

"What do you need help with, Aunt Charlie?" Julie made a show of hugging her.

Gracie followed Julie's lead and hugged Charlie around her legs. "I'll help."

"Alright, we need eggs, bacon, sausage, I bought some ham we should grab that too." Charlie instructed them.

"You do realize that I'm a vegetarian right?" Julie asked her.

"I know there are vegetables in there for you. I'm sorry, but I'm a true Texan and a Marine I don't believe in that tofu crap. I'm willin' to accommodate ya though." Charlie replied.

"You are such an ass." Julie nudged her playfully.

"You just now figured that out?" Charlie nudged her back. She bent down, picked Gracie up, and sat her on the counter. "You sit right there. Do you have any plans today?"

Gracie shrugged her little shoulders and grinned. "I don't know."

"Well, you do now. You're gonna come run some errands with me and then I am gonna take you to the pool. Does that sound good to you?" Charlie kissed her forehead.

"Yeah," Gracie smiled shyly.

"Yeah, I thought so." Charlie winked at her.

"Listen to that, Gracie Belle. You're gonna have so much fun with your Aunt Charlie." Tami was grateful that Charlie was going to take her off her hands for a little while. "Charlie, remember sun screen."

"Tami, it's under control. I'm always prepared. If being in the military has taught me one thing it's always carry bug spray and sun screen. A knife is a much more useful tool than a gun and you would be surprised the things that you could do with a bobby pin." Charlie rattled off.

"Is it true that you're like trained to pick a lock with a bobby pin?" Julie asked.

"You've watched one too many movies and you're gettin' me confused with a secret agent, but yes if a bobby pin is strong enough I can pick a lock with it. I can also take a gun apart and put it back together blindfolded, but that is a conversation for another time." Charlie chuckled softly.

"Speakin' of guns. How many do you have in your possession right now?" Tami asked her.

"I put one in Eric's gun safe the other ones I went home while dad was at work and put them there." Charlie answered her.

"Are you and your dad still waitin' to see which one of you is gonna blink first?" Shelly leaned against her elbows on the counter.

"No, we are past that. We both spoke our peace and went about our business. I just really didn't want to hear the lecture that was comin' about leavin' the job in Charleston. Not so much a lecture, but an intense interrogation. Apparently I've done somethin' in my life that leads everyone I know to believe I'm always up to somethin'." Charlie cracked an egg into a frying pan.

"Mexico and a collect call at three in the morning that's all I have to say." Tami arched her eyebrow.

"That's the reason I no longer date men with more tattoos than IQ points. You have the tendency to wake up in a seedy motel room with the room spinning. It really is a miracle that I made it to adulthood." Charlie shook her head to herself.

"So, Aunt Charlie, why is it that you aren't married?" Julie asked.

"Julie, did your grandma pay you to ask me that? I oughta strangle you for that one. Simple answer is I'm not married because I don't wanna be. Let's see how I can put this. Eric is the settler I don't mean that in a bad way I just mean he was meant to set down roots. Mike he's the middle child he's the rolling stone he can't sit still. I'm still figuring myself out. The way I figure it being an adult is simple. You pay your taxes and you don't do meth." Charlie talked herself out of that question.

"What about crack?" Shelly asked.

"Cute really cute. I could tell you stories about people strung out on drugs. When I was on duty on the base I was always officer on duty. That meant anything that happened the MPs and the shore patrol would call me I was over them both. I can't count the number of times I heard 'Captain Taylor, we need you to authorize a drug test.' And then they refuse and I have to call JAG and it's just a pain in the ass." Charlie chopped up some ham. "Here you taste that." She handed a piece to Gracie.

"Good," Gracie told her.

"That's what I like to hear." Charlie smiled at her.

"What exactly did you do for the Marines?" Julie asked her.

"Think of it as I was a police officer and that's the best way I can explain it to you. I dealt with some crazy stuff. Soldiers, Marines, and sailors are like college kids that someone decided to give weapons to at times. Now, any of you have any more questions for me? Full name, rank, serial number?" Charlie laughed softly. "See what I'm dealin' with, Gracie Belle?"

"They ask lots of questions." Gracie agreed.

"You're a smart ass. What exactly am I trusting you to make me for breakfast anyway?" Tami wondered.

"Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham. I basically hash them up and cook them together it's pure protein and you're actually gonna feel full for a change. It's good for you and it's good for the baby. You don't have to eat that much of it just a little bit may help you not feel like you're starving every five minutes. I know what it feels like to be that hungry and it's not fun at all." Charlie answered her.

"Where did you learn how to cook finally?" Eric came into the kitchen his hair still wet from his shower.

"The mess officer and I traded favors. Cookin' lessons for shootin' lessons. It was the best trade I've ever made in my life." Charlie answered him without looking up from what she was doing.

"Tell me where to send the thank you note. When you were a kid you couldn't cook your way outta a paper bag." Eric teased her.

"Gracie Belle, let your aunt tell you a little somethin'. You're lucky that you have a big sister and not a big brother. I have two big brothers and they are both annoying when they want to be." Charlie tickled her belly.

"She has Matty." Julie reminded her.

"He doesn't count as a big brother he's an older brother that you can tell things to and he'll be understanding. There's a distinction between the two titles. Eric for the most part is an older brother I can talk to him he doesn't go right into I'm gonna kick someone's ass mode. Mike is a big brother he once held a kid upside down by his ankles for messin' with me." Charlie was just full of all kinds of wisdom.

"Eric isn't evolved as you think he is. He wanted to do unspeakable things to your first boyfriend after you two broke up. I had to remind him that he was a grown man and he couldn't beat up a sixteen-year-old boy." Tami informed her.

"My crazy overprotective father took my dating better than either of my brothers did. I'm surprised that Jules has managed to keep Matt around." Charlie commented.

"He was an idiot when they first started dating. I don't have to tell you, you know what I'm talking about." Tami gave her a knowing look.

"I know exactly what you're talking about." Charlie agreed with her.

* * *

"What exactly are you guys having us do today?" Austin looked between Matt and Tim for an answer.

"Miller, you really don't want to ask that question. I'm not sure that we want to know the answer to that." Denny groaned.

"I think that you've scarred them for life." Smash told them.

"I agree, Smash." Landry chimed in.

"They both need to relax and trust us this time." Matt shook his head.

"They need to listen to Seven." Tim said. He stopped his truck in the parking lot of the pool. "Miller, Bishop, get out. We're givin' you the day off."

"We've spent so much time turnin' you into better football players that we took some of the joy out of it. We thought that it was time to remind you that we are kings in this town. And durin' the summer we own this pool. We are gonna show you how this is done." Matt added. Of course those were Tim's words and not his.

"You're about to see what kinda doors one of these rings can unlock." Smash flashed his state ring.

"Hangin' around with them is just as good as havin' a ring of my own. I played three seasons for Coach and I missed the stated championship by one year in either direction." Landry grumbled.

"Landry is still a little bitter over that if you can't tell." Tim stage whispered. "Alright, now you guys just follow my lead." He flashed his state ring at the girl charging admissions.

Matt and Smash did the same thing.

"These three are with us." Smash gave her one of his smiles.

"Of course, Smash. The Panther discount always applies for you." She smiled back at him.

"That's because the Smash will always be a Panther one way or the other." Smash winked.

"Gentlemen, this is your oyster enjoy yourselves. If you need any pointers find Coach Matt, Coach Landry, Coach Smash, or myself. We will be right here in this corner hanging out. As a matter of fact, join us after you get the lay of the land." Tim dismissed them.

"You think they're ready for this?" Matt asked.

"I think we had to let them have some fun before they got burned out on us. It's time to let the chicks fly the nest for a little while. We need to nurture and grow their talents both on and off the field." Tim cocked his straw cowboy hat on top of his head.

"We have been workin' 'em pretty hard, Matty. They haven't balked against us or complained about anything that we've had them do in a while. They really do need a break before hell week." Smash agreed with Tim.

"Honestly, I could use the break too. We haven't just been workin' them hard. We've been workin' ourselves pretty hard as well." Matt couldn't argue with their logic.

"At least you're not the one they've been usin' as their live tacklin' dummy. I have bruises in places that I didn't know could bruise." Landry bitched.

"We've all had to take one for the team, Landry. Your sacrifice is appreciated." Tim sat down in a lounge chair.

"They better get a state ring outta this." Landry grumbled.

"I think we all feel that way." Matt patted his back.

Tim opened his cooler. "Gentlemen, anything your hearts could desire is in this cooler. Just sit back and relax we've earned it."

"Drunk before noon the Riggins' way." Smash laid out on a chair and grabbed a beer.

"I ain't even gonna argue." Matt grabbed a beer for himself.

"I guess I'll be the DD." Landry mumbled.

Austin and Denny made a circuit around the pool before they came over to join them.

"What did you boys see on your scouting trip?" Tim asked them.

"Nothin' it's kinda dead right now." Austin laid down on the ground.

"None of the cute girls come out this early." Denny picked up a football and tossed it in the air.

"You're right it is early and that is why we are here. We have time to scope the situation out." Smash advised them.

"Seven, check out the hottie headed this way right now." Tim said a couple of hours later.

"Eyes to yourself, Riggins." Matt called him down when he looked up and saw who he was talking about.

"I want you guys to know that you look sad and pathetic. You're like those creepy guys that graduated, but still hang out at high school parties. Oh, wait that's exactly what you are." Julie sat down beside Matt.

"Be nice to us, Julie. We're puttin' our blood, sweat, and tears into this team." Matt pulled her against his side.

"It's real nice to see you too, Jules." Tim quipped.

"I'm not speaking to you right now, Tim. You're in the dog house again. I'm not sure what you did this time, but girl code demands that I not speak to you. It dictates that I not tell you that you can solve this with flowers." Julie looked at him pointedly.

"Heard and noted." Tim nodded his head.

"Do I want to know why you guys are hanging out here today?" Julie asked.

"Coach told me to give them a break. Apparently he was scared that we were gonna burn them out." Tim replied.

"Because you were gonna burn them out." Julie arched her eyebrow.

"Thank you, Julie. I've been tryin' to tell them that for weeks now. They are burnin' me out." Landry spoke up.

"Shut up, Landry." Tim, Matt, and Smash told him in unison.

"This is what it's like to be under appreciated." Landry grumbled.

"I know, Landry. They pick on you." Julie patted his back.

"At least someone understands me." Landry sighed.

"Gracie Belle, this is what happens to former jocks when they have nothin' else to do?" Charlie walked over with Gracie on her hip.

"I just got away from you. I didn't think you'd be here already." Julie looked up at her aunt.

"Gracie and decided that my errands could wait until after the pool. I also decided that I'm lazy and since I already got my workout in today I would slack off for a few hours." Charlie replied. She sat Gracie down on the ground.

"Did you put sun screen on her?" Julie asked.

Charlie gave her a withering look. "Do you honestly think your mother let either of us out of the house before she bathed us in sun screen? She even packed my damn bag for me. I swear I bring her mothering instincts out in full force."

"She's like that with everyone." Julie pointed out to her.

"You aren't tellin' me anythin' that I don't know." Charlie kicked her shoes off and pulled her t-shirt over her head. She put Gracie's water wings on her. "You ready, little bit?"

"I'm ready." Gracie smiled enthusiastically.

"Alright, let's get goin' then." Charlie held her hand out to her.

Gracie reached up and took Charlie's hand and walked away with her.

Julie shook her head when she saw Tim, Smash, and Landry staring after Charlie with their mouths hanging open. "That is my aunt you perverts."

"I don't care if that's Jesus Christ's sister she is hot. How old is she again?" Smash came out of his daze.

"She's twenty-eight and totally out of your league." Julie told him.

"Smash don't pay attention to leagues he goes for all shapes and sizes." Smash retorted.

"Williams, she'd never go for you. You're more high maintenance than she is. What women like that want is a man who is more laid back." Tim corrected him.

"Or you know a guy who isn't all about his looks and has a brain." Landry chimed in.

"Oh Jesus, ok let's try this again, ya'll. That is basically my aunt. If that doesn't make a difference to you that is Coach's sister. Do you even understand what those words mean? Do you know what Coach would do to you if you even thought about it?" Matt stressed to them.

"Just let me tell you that it wouldn't be pretty. There's also another Taylor brother who should probably be in prison. He's crazy when it comes to her he'll shoot first and then bury the body out in the desert later." Julie added.

"I've heard stories about crazy Uncle Mike. I've been threatened with crazy Uncle Mike for not gettin' the right stuff at the grocery store." Matt backed her up.

"I'm still gonna have to risk it." Tim said after he thought it over for a minute.

"Riggins, if you even think about it I will take you out." Julie warned him.

* * *

Eric sat in the floor in the middle of a bunch of different pieces. He was attempting to put something together for the baby. "Tami, what the hell does this thing even do anyway?"

"That's a bottle warmer." Tami was on the couch with the baby laying on her chest.

"Why do we need a bottle warmer?" Eric frowned as he struggled to get the pieces together.

"Honey, how would you like cold breast milk?" Tami asked him in reply.

Eric looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "I try not to think about your breast milk."

"Let me put it to you this way. How would you like your steak to be cold? I can guarantee you that your son doesn't want cold breast milk. I need to be able to pump. I don't want him to hate his bottle because he knows it's cold." Tami explained patiently.

"Don't be ridiculous. The boy loves to eat. I don't think it would deter him any if it were cold." Eric argued.

"Eric, just put the bottle warmer together." Tami rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm puttin' it together I just don't see the point of it that's all. We didn't any of this with Julie or with Gracie Belle." Eric finally got it put together.

"They didn't have any of this around when Julie was a baby and with Gracie I didn't even think about it. This is easier and we are gonna do things the easy way this time." Tami traced her finger over Hayes' head.

"You just said that magic word. I can do easy." Eric smiled.

"I thought that might change your mind. No more boiling water to warm bottles in the middle of the night and havin' to listen to him scream while we wait for it to get ready." Tami went on.

"It's together I'm sold. You don't have to say any more." Eric set the bottle warmer aside.

"What else do you have to put together?" Tami asked.

"I have his changing table. He decided that he wanted to come a little earlier than he was supposed to and I didn't have time to get to work on it." Eric replied.

"Him and Gracie Belle both decided to come early." Tami reminded him.

"Yeah and they are both probably gonna help you make me late for the rest of their lives." Eric scoffed.

"Oh you hush. I do not make you late. I'm always where I'm supposed to be on time." Tami argued with him.

"Whatever you want to think to make yourself feel better." Eric teased her.

"I'm not even gonna argue with you right now, sugar. I'm so glad your sister decided to take Gracie Belle off our hands for a little while and that my sister had to go out and show a house." Tami sighed contentedly.

"My sister is a life saver that way." Eric started putting the changing table together.

"Do you buy her reason for leavin' South Carolina?" Tami asked him.

"Tami, the girl said what she said and I trust her. She isn't really a liar. Like ya'll keep tellin' me she's a grown woman if there was something going on and she needs my help she'll tell me. I think you worry too much where she's concerned." Eric sighed.

"You just don't know when she's up to somethin' or when she's lyin' to you. She's not as sweet and innocent as you let yourself think she is." Tami told him.

"You women are a conundrum to me. When a man says he's fine that's what it means. When a woman says she's fine there's an underlying issue that needs to be delved into." Eric muttered.

"I was just askin' a question. I don't actually think that there's anythin' goin' on with her either. Eric, you know that she's like a baby sister to me too. I worry about her." Tami sighed.

"I'm not really worried about her. I think that she's gonna be just fine. I also think she's gonna win us a hell of a lotta football games this season." Eric laughed. Charlie was for sure his new secret weapon. After the workout she'd put him through earlier he knew that she would whip those boys into shape.

"She did have you begging for mercy." Tami laughed.

"Tami, it wasn't funny at all." Eric grumbled.

"Oh it was. She said that she would come up with a program for me to get rid of this baby weight." Tami informed him.

"Just say no. I love you too much to let her loose on you like that." Eric got off the floor and picked Hayes up off Tami's chest. "Come here, you. It's time for you to wake up for a minute."

"That's real sweet of ya, babe." Tami sat up. "He's workin' on stayin' awake longer and bein' more alert. If I'm holdin' him and it's awake he likes to stare at my hair. He's thinkin' about grabbin' it the minute he's coordinated enough to do it." She leaned against Eric's side.

"He's a Taylor he'll get that coordination down soon enough." Eric assured her. He held Hayes up in front of his face. "Hayes, it's time for you to wake up from your nap you've been out for a while."

Hayes wrinkled up his face and let out a little whine.

"Eric, leave him alone. He is so tired. He has to get his second wind before he wakes up and wants to nurse for an hour again." Tami scolded him.

Hayes curled his little fingers into a fist and tucked it under his chin without bothering to open his eyes.

"Alright, I can see that you're not quite ready to wake up yet I'll let ya be for now. You put yourself into a milk coma is what you did. We've gotta work on your self-control ya little monkey." Eric kissed both his cheeks.

"If he starts cryin' you're gonna feel bad." Tami teased him.

"He ain't gonna cry. I told you I think we got a defective baby. The only time he cries is if he's hungry or needs a new diaper." Eric leaned back against her.

"He's not defective he's perfect. Babe, stop holdin' him like he's a sack of potatoes. Cuddle him he likes it." Tami rested her head on his shoulder.

Eric yawned. "Do you think I can talk Matt into puttin' that together for me?"

"Honey I think if you say jump Matty will ask you how high." Tami rubbed his arm.

"I think it's time for a nap then." Eric closed his eyes.

"A nap sounds perfect." Tami laid over and put her head in his lap. She was in no position to say no to a nap.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Shelly, listen to me closely. Gracie Belle you know how to deal with. Hayes is really easy. He'll sleep for you a lot. When he is awake he's so happy. He will want to eat at least once probably twice." Tami was putting her earrings in.

"Tami, you're only going to dinner you're not leaving him all night. He will be just fine." Shelly assured her. She was sitting on the bed with Hayes lying next to her.

"It's my first time leavin' him. Cut me a little slack." Tami retorted.

"Tami, we've gotta go. Are you 'bout ready?" Eric stuck his head in the door.

"Are you sure that you can't go alone?" Tami asked him.

"I could go alone, but you really don't want that." Eric told her.

"You're right. I don't exactly trust you alone with the boosters." Tami picked the baby up and kissed him all over his face. "Ok, Bubba, I love you be good for Aunt Shelly tonight. I will be back for you so soon."

Eric walked over and kissed his head. "I love you, Bubba. Be good and don't use up all your awake time while I'm gone. We have more plays to go over. I need your thoughts on them. You're a better advisor than my war council." He checked his watch. "We have to get goin'."

Tami handed the baby over to Shelly. "Ok, let's go."

Eric took her hand and walked out to the car with her. He opened the door for her and helped her in. "Alright, here we go. You ready for this again?"

"You love it and that's all that matters. I know that you had a tough time in Philadelphia and that it wasn't football the way you're used to it. I know that you pretty much hated it every day, but you never said anything because you knew how much it meant to me." Tami reached over and took his hand.

"You were right. It was your turn. I wanted to give it a real chance before I decided if I hated it or not. I hated it from day one, but I tried to like it for you. I tried so hard, but I just couldn't do it." Eric laced their fingers together.

"I knew the whole time. I knew the minute that Buddy showed up on our doorstep if he wanted you back I was gonna insist that we come back. That was before I even knew that I was pregnant. It feels like we belong here, babe. Even with the boosters making us crazy and all the crazy parents around here this is home." Tami smiled a little.

"You are the best friend, wife, and lover that a man has ever had." Eric squeezed her hand.

"Honey, you better drive I don't think that it's the best idea in the world to leave Billy alone with the boosters for too long." Tami advised him.

"You're probably right on that one." Eric put his foot a little further down on the accelerator.

The boosters had a whole section of Buddy's bar taken over for the night.

"Why are my assistant coaches up at the bar?" Eric gestured to where Charlie and Billy sat at the bar.

"Because I don't think they wanted to face that mob over there without you." Tami looked over to where the boosters sat. "I better go make my manners."

"Riggins, Taylor, over here." Eric called out. He pointed to a spot on the floor in front of him.

Billy and Charlie walked over.

"Ya'll mean to tell me that you left Aaron to face the boosters alone." Eric looked between them.

"We just got here and he volunteered to take one for the team." Billy replied.

"They just got here. Tim has been feeding me beers for the last hour." Charlie added her two cents.

"Either of you drunk?" Eric put his hands on his hips.

"Coach, I haven't been sober since two thousand. But no I'm not drunk." Billy made a face.

"Eric, it takes a lot more than what I had to drink to get me drunk." Charlie slapped him on the back.

"Ya'll come over here with me and behave yourselves. I shouldn't have to say that, but I'm sayin' it just in case either of you gets any ideas." Eric warned them.

"I'll be on my best behavior, Coach." Billy saluted him.

"I know how to behave in public." Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Riggins, I don't think you know what good behavior is. Charlie, you and behave don't belong in the same sentence. Both of you just do your best. Oh, look, Mayor Rodell is already bendin' Tami's ear." Eric said through gritted teeth.

"Tami, I can't tell you how pleased we are to have you and Eric back." Mayor Rodell had Tami cornered as usual.

"We are real happy to be back here. I was just tellin' Eric on the way over that all the craziness aside this is home." Tami replied.

"I'm also very pleased with your newest hire. Not only is she a great coach, but she's a woman. Leave it to you to shake up the establishment a little bit." Mayor Rodell laughed.

"The minute she walked into my office I knew that she was just what the Panthers needed to get back on track." Tami smiled.

"With the things I've heard about her I'm gonna have to meet her soon. I can't believe that one family spawned that much football genius." Mayor Rodell sounded impressed.

"My father-in-law would love to hear you say that. Little sister didn't have much of a choice. Both her big brothers played football and her daddy is obsessed with it. She soaked all of that up and learned a thing or two. She's here and you'll meet her and I can promise you that she will make an impression." Tami nodded her head.

"Mayor Rodell, I see that you and Tami are gettin' reacquainted." Eric walked over.

"There's my favorite coach. I'm really glad to have you back." Mayor Rodell told him.

"It's great to be back, Mayor Rodell. I had to go teach those boys in Philadelphia a thing or two 'bout football. I suppose you'll wanna meet my newest coach. A word of warnin' I don't know what's gonna come outta her mouth. Speak to her at your own risk." Eric pointed at Charlie.

Charlie extended her hand to the mayor. "Captain Charlie Taylor pleased to meet you."

"Mayor Lucy Rodell it's very nice to meet you too. I gotta tell you I'm very excited to see what you do with the team this season. You did amazing things in Charleston. That boss of yours is a fool if he doesn't use you the way that God intended you to be used." Mayor Rodell laughed.

"My boss is pretty good at his job, but time will tell if he sees me as a coach or if he still sees me as his sweet baby sister." Charlie replied.

"I see our new offensive coordinator when I look at you. You had all your JV boys playin' better than the varsity players. You should have been the head coach of varsity and anyone who doesn't think that is stupid." Mayor Rodell told her.

"Well, thank you, ma'am. I really do appreciate those kind words. I had some real good boys to work with. Our head coach of varsity had a tendency to take those boys and run them into the ground once they got up to him. I was never gonna get his job." Charlie tried to sound modest.

"Damn, I didn't know the kid could handle herself so well." Eric whispered to Tami.

"The kid isn't a kid anymore. She went and grew up." Tami whispered back to him.

"I guess she did. I need to go mingle. You gonna be ok?" Eric asked her.

"I can handle myself just fine." Tami smiled at him.

"Good, I may need you to rescue me." Eric stole a quick kiss from her.

"Hey, hey, Coach T number two." Tim walked over with a pitcher of beer.

"Tim, what's up?" Charlie was happy to have a distraction from the boosters.

"After these boosters and Coach and Mrs. T clear outta here Julie, Matt, and Tyra are comin' by and we are gonna have a night of drinkin'. You're totally invited." Tim replied.

"Sounds good to me. I've earned it after the night I've had." Charlie gestured to the boosters with her eyes.

"Do you need a whiskey?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, put it on my bill." Charlie snorted.

"So, Coach, what is your plan with your QB this season?" One of the boosters asked Eric.

"I'm very excited to get to work with Austin Miller. He's a promisin' little QB. He's got a lot of heart. That's what we need more than a QB with a cannon for an arm right now. We need someone who can be the heart and soul of the team. Let me ask you this. What worked about that state champion season in oh six?" Eric replied.

"I don't know, Coach." He shrugged his shoulders.

"The guys rallied behind Saracen. He stepped up and became a leader. That is what we need right now. Right now this team needs someone that they can get behind and believe in. They need to be humbled. The idea of this super team built them up to be gods and they think they don't have to put the work in." Eric gave him the answer.

"It's damn good to have you back, Coach." He patted him on the back.

"It's damn good to be back." Eric replied.

* * *

"Tim, now that that horrible meeting is over give me a real drink." Charlie sat down at the bar after everyone else had gone.

"Make that three, Timmy. The kids are with Angela we are taking a cab home tonight." Billy agreed. "Charlie, with all that craziness with the boosters I don't think you got a chance to be properly introduced to my wife." He pointed at Mindy.

"Mindy Riggins," Mindy smiled.

"Charlie Taylor," Charlie replied.

Tim set four shot glasses on the bar and poured whiskey in them. "Alright, here we go. No regrets." He picked his shot glass up.

They all tossed their shots back.

"That's much better." Charlie didn't even flinch from the alcohol.

"I think she's gonna fit in just fine around here. She can talk football and she can handle her alcohol." Billy observed.

"It doesn't hurt matters that she looks like she could work with me down at the Landing Strip." Mindy added.

"Get me drunk enough and I just might take you up on that offer." Charlie quipped.

"Billy, this may be the first and last time that you ever hear me say this so listen good. This is the one woman that you're allowed to lust over. She makes me feel things in my lady parts I can't blame you she's hot." Mindy laughed.

"Gross, Charlie, what are you doing already? Mom and dad just left you here there is no possible way you found trouble that fast." Julie walked in and groaned.

"Julie, don't blame her. She's drinkin' with the Landing Strip's employee of the month." Tyra rolled her eyes.

"Damn, Tyra, that's cold. You can't play your own sister that way." Smash shook his head.

"So, you must be the infamous bad influence on my niece." Charlie said jokingly.

"You're Coach's baby sister? Somehow you're not what I pictured at all." Tyra joked back.

"I smile a lot more than he does don't I?" Charlie laughed.

"You do smile a lot more than him." Landry agreed with her.

"Landry, just stop. I beg of you just don't go there." Matt pleaded with him.

"Come on, Seven, no regrets." Tim set up some more shot glasses.

"I have regrets, Riggins. My main regret is a friend with a big mouth he doesn't know when to shut." Matt groaned loudly.

"I can't promise that this is gonna make him talk any less, but I can promise that you won't care how much he talks once you've had a few." Tim poured another round of shots.

"I think all of you talk more than a bunch of girls honestly. Except for you, Matty. If you say more than two words at a time to me I consider it a win." Charlie gave Matt a hard time.

"I don't know why you constantly have to be reminded how intimidating you are, but you are intimidating as hell. You're my aunt and you even scare the hell out of me." Julie gave her a look.

"I am harmless. I know at least seven different ways to kill someone with my bare hands, but that's nothin' that any of you have to worry about." Charlie shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.

"I hope you know that that statement just sent your hotness points through the roof." Smash leaned on the bar and looked over at her.

"You are jailbait, my friend." Charlie picked up her shot and threw it back.

"I am twenty-three that's not jailbait." Smash said after he'd done his shot.

"With what I do for a livin' to me that's jailbait. I think 'bout sleepin' with an officer that's your age and I'm bein' brought up on charges for conduct unbecoming. I like havin' my commission and at this point I really wanna keep my pension. So, I've applied the rules of the base to my life. The youngest I go is two years younger than me." Charlie explained to him. She'd fudged the truth a little, but he didn't need to know that.

"If ya'll boys didn't understand what she really meant let me spell it out for you. She's not interested in any of you. She's just too nice to say it." Mindy gave them all a word to the wise.

"Thank you, Minds, I'm not quite sure Williams recognizes a polite brush off when he hears it." Tim rolled his eyes at his sister-in-law.

"Tim, set us up again. Put this on my tab." Charlie tapped the bar.

"Buddy is gonna love you if he doesn't already. You say words like open tab. I just met you and I already love you. You say words like put this on my tab." Tyra picked up her shot glass after Tim refilled it.

"Obviously I'm not that intimidating." Charlie clicked her glass against Tyra's. And they both tossed back their shots.

"Julie, where have you been hiding her? I love her she is so damn cool." Mindy gushed.

"I haven't been hiding her anywhere. She just rolled back into town." Julie grimaced after doing her shot.

"Let's get hammered." Billy cheered.

"I like the way you think, Billy." Charlie signaled for another round.

"Buddy, half off for Panthers' coaches still?" Tim called out to Buddy.

"Which Panther's coach are you talkin' about?" Buddy asked.

"Billy and Charlie here." Tim pointed at them.

"Absolutely not. These two get the family discount. With as much as Billy drinks it won't matter. I'll end up makin' money off the deal." Buddy patted him on the back. "Charlie, you make sure that he's treatin' you right. If not you let me know. I gotta make sure that our new offensive coordinator is happy."

"Coach hasn't made his final decision on that yet. I think we are gonna have to wait and see what Billy and I end up coaching. I think it'll take a few weeks of practice and a couple games to get it ironed out." Charlie played off the comment. She didn't want it to become a thing between her and Billy.

"Coach will put us wherever we fit best. I know she used to be an offensive coordinator before she got that head coach position, but from the research I did into her skills she could do just as well as the defensive coordinator." Billy added.

"Thanks, Billy, don't go complimenting me like that it'll just give me a bigger ego." Charlie elbowed him.

"Maybe I'm just trying to lull you into thinking that I'm that friendly." Billy elbowed her back.

"Coach has himself a winning combination with you two that's for sure." Buddy patted them both on the back.

"So, Charlie, you're like a woman." Landry slid up next to Charlie a little while later. He was clearly drunk.

"Landry, stop while you're still ahead." Mindy advised him.

"Yeah, Landry, I'm like a woman. What do you need?" Charlie laughed.

"What is it about me that is so repellant to women?" Landry asked her.

"You're Bambi. That is your problem. You're too sweet and nice. Your options aren't as limited as you think they are. There are women who are super model hot that are gonna go for a guy like you. Your smarts and that kind heart are gonna take you far. You just have to be patient. And you have to not go for women who are already in love with someone else. Mindy, back me up here." Charlie threw back another shot.

"What she said." Mindy agreed with her.

"Hey, hey, if you're done dealin' with Landry's problems we need you two to come ref an arm wrestling match." Tim interrupted.

"Forget askin' me to ref. You and me, pretty boy. It's on. I'm a lot stronger than I look." Charlie jumped at the chance to arm wrestle.

"If you think you can handle this then game on." Tim held his arms open in a sign for her to bring it on.

"You have no idea what you just signed up for." Charlie talked a little smack.

"Take him down, Charlie." Mindy egged her on.

Billy cleared off a table. "Here we go each of you stand on one side you know how this works."

Charlie and Tim both took their places on either side of the table.

"You know the rules. We're are gonna have a good clean match. Now, you two shake hands." Matt instructed them.

Charlie and Tim shook hands.

"Which way we gonna do this? Righty or lefty?" Tim asked.

"You're the youngster I'll let you pick." Charlie winked at him.

"I'm up for a challenge let's go lefty. Maybe give you a chance of beatin' me." Tim put his left arm on the table.

"I can live with that." Charlie put her arm on the table.

Billy put their hands together. "Matty, count 'em off."

"Wrestle," Matt gave them the go sign.

Tim's eyes went wide shock when pinned his hand to the table with very little effort. "There is no way you're that strong. Let's do it the other way."

"I told you that you had no idea what you brought on yourself." Charlie smirked at him.

"Damn, Rig, you just got your ass beat by a girl." Smash laughed.

"That was my weak hand. We are gonna do this again for real." Tim brushed him off.

Billy once again joined their hands together. "Timmy, she kinda owned you."

"Shut up, Billy. I wasn't ready she caught me off guard." Tim argued with his brother.

"Alright, you two, wrestle." Matt gave them the go ahead.

"You really are that strong aren't you?" Tim battled back and forth with Charlie. It was like arm wrestling a man.

"Not to make you nervous or anythin', but this is my weak arm. I'm a lefty." Charlie put all her weight behind her arm and slammed his hand down on the table.

"Alright, you got me this time, but I'm demanding a rematch later." Tim just couldn't believe that she had beat him.

* * *

"Now this is the option watch closely I want you to learn somethin'." Eric had Hayes on his chest and they were watching game film.

"I don't know what you two are doin' over there, but it sounds like you're havin' more fun than I am over here." Tami was on the couch going over some papers.

"We are gettin' ready for our first practice on Monday. We are relaxing and watching game film of good players." Eric replied. "What is it that you are doing?"

"I am goin' over the budget. This is crazy. Do you know that your players from the east side attend class on our campus during football season and it costs us extra to have them bused over?" Tami rubbed her temples. She could already feel a headache coming on.

"I did know that they go to class on our campus for half the year. It was easier than bussing them over after school or when I have two a day practices. It's not the most ideal situation, but this is what happens when you have two schools, but only one football team." Eric reasoned with her.

"And I understand this, hon, but it's an expense that we can't afford. Right now I'm trying to choose between paper towels and soap for the bathrooms." Tami sighed.

"That's the not so fun part of the job, I know. You are great at it and you will find a solution. I have all the confidence in the world in you." Eric sweet talked her.

"Listen to you over there bein' all sweet to me. What is that your apology for draggin' me to that meetin' with the boosters earlier?" Tami teased him.

"Somethin' like that. I know how much you hate goin' to those things. I hate it too, but you make it more bearable for me, because you know just how to deal with them. I guess what I'm sayin' is I appreciate you. Those boosters aren't fun for anyone to deal with." Eric smiled at her.

"I appreciate you sayin' that you appreciate me. I have just a little bit more patience than you do when it comes to dealin' with them not that I like to either, but it's the name of the game. And I think I just solved part of my budget dilemma." Tami got a thoughtful look on her face.

"Uh oh, Hayes, I think momma has an idea. From the sounds of it you're about to meet Buddy for the first time." Eric kissed his son's head.

"Oh no, I don't have it in me to deal with Buddy anymore tonight. That's a conversation for another time." Tami replied. "Now, stop hogging the baby and let me have him."

"We are having father-son bonding time here." Eric fake pouted.

"Let me have him and stop it." Tami laughed.

"Alright, Bubba, you're gonna go visit with momma. Keep her some company for a little bit." Eric handed him over.

"There's my happy beautiful boy." Tami kissed both his cheeks.

"Your happy beautiful boy that's probably gonna be woke up when all the drunks come draggin' in here." Eric had his attention split between his wife and the game.

"Matt and Julie have been pretty good about being respectful of the fact that there are two little people sleeping in this house. Shelly is in for the night and Charlie will probably come in with the other two." Tami told him.

Hayes rubbed his face on Tami's chest and whined a little.

"Uh oh, I know what that sound means." Eric observed.

"That sounds means that this little piglet is ready to eat again." Tami pulled her shirt down and freed one of her breasts. "There we go. Get yourself latched on. You're really good at that. You don't need me to tell you what to do no you don't."

"He is a natural when it comes to his food. That is gonna be one big boy." Eric chuckled.

"Yes he is. I don't know how we are gonna afford to feed him. If the doctor hadn't said that he was perfectly healthy I would be worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat." Tami retorted.

"Maybe he just likes bein' close to you and it's a comfort thing and he's not really nursing." Eric suggested.

"I never thought of that. You are pretty smart when you want to be." Tami grinned.

"I have my moments." Eric smiled proudly.

Tami patted the couch beside her. "Come sit with us."

Eric got up and sank down on the couch beside her. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I love you. You know that?"

"I love you too. Did you know that?" Tami leaned against him.

"I did know that. I don't know why, but I'm the luckiest man in the world." Eric reached over and rubbed the baby's back.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 8

"Hey now, cooperate with your old man, Hayes. I gotta leave here in a minute and I wanna have you settled down for your momma." Eric walked the floor with the baby thrown over his shoulder. He was dressed in his Panthers' polo and ball cap. He was getting ready to go to his first practice.

"He knows that his old man is a pain in the ass and he doesn't wanna cooperate." Charlie set a travel mug of coffee down on the counter for her brother. She too was dressed in her coaching gear.

"Suckin' up to the boss a trait I admire in all of my employees. You're goin' places, Taylor." Eric's hazel eyes twinkled.

"Thanks for the appreciation, Coach." Charlie rolled her eyes at him.

"I need to go lay him down in the bedroom. We can leave once I do that. I don't know how you're this alert this early." Eric wasn't totally away until he finished his firs cup of coffee.

"I do more before six in the mornin' than most people do all day. I'm used to it. I rather be up this early than have to be out there in the heat of the day. It's supposed to be a hot one." Charlie replied.

"I hear you, there." Eric walked to the bedroom and laid Hayes down in his bassinet.

"Is he up?" Tami stirred and asked groggily.

"He's awake, but if he's left alone he should go back to sleep easily." Eric whispered.

"Bring him here. I'll nurse him and get him back to sleep." Tami sat up.

Eric picked the baby back up carefully. "Here you go. Ya'll have a good mornin' together. I'll see you when I get back." He kissed them both on the head.

"I love you, Have a good practice." Tami smiled.

"I love you too." Eric kissed her head again.

"Ready to go?" Charlie asked Eric when he walked back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm ready to go." Eric replied.

"I'll drive." Charlie grabbed her keys.

"God help me I hope you drive better than you did as a teenager." Eric grabbed his playbook.

"I'm a very good driver. Ric, you need to give up a little bit of control every now and then." Charlie patted him on the back.

"Let's just get goin'. I don't need you to analyze me. Tami does enough of that for three people." Eric grumbled.

Charlie just laughed and walked out to her truck.

* * *

"You got us here without killin' us. I'll count that as a win." Eric climbed out of the truck once they got to the field.

"You really are a pain in my ass." Charlie got out and put her whistle around her neck.

Aaron and Billy were already standing on the sidelines. Mac and Crowley were sitting in the bleachers with Buddy.

"Coaches," Eric greeted them with a nod of his head.

"Coach," They nodded back at him.

"I see Buddy got out here early." Eric commented.

"He got here before we did." Aaron made a face to show what he really thought of that.

"Here is the plan for the day. Spivey, you're with special teams. Billy, defense is yours. Charlie, you have offense. That's just for warmups. I'll switch it up when it's time to scrimmage." Eric told them.

"Sounds good to me. We're still gonna have them stretch out together, right?" Billy asked.

"Of course we are. That's what we always do. Why you gotta ask me stupid questions like that for?" Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. His coaches could be just as bad as his players sometimes.

"Where the hell are these boys? It's almost six." Charlie checked her watch.

"I guess being on time is one of the things that we're gonna have to work on." Aaron retorted.

"We always do at the beginnin'." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

Five minutes later the team finally trickled out of the locker room and onto the field.

"Gentlemen, thank you for deciding to show up today. If you're on time you are late. Six AM means a quarter 'til." Eric barked at them. "Get in your lines and start your warmups."

The boys lined up on the field and went through their stretches.

Eric waited until they finished to speak again. "Let me introduce you to the coaching staff. Coach Spivey. Coach Riggins, and the other Coach Taylor. I'm Coach Taylor for those of you who don't know me." He pointed to each person as he spoke. He could already tell he was going to need to do something to keep him and Charlie from being confused.

The boys just stood there with dopey looks on their faces.

"Special teams go with Coach Spivey, defense you're with Coach Riggins, and offense you're with Coach Taylor." Eric broke them down into their groups.

Charlie blew her whistle. "Offense, ten laps around the bleachers let's go now." She adjusted her hat on her head and waited for them to comply. "I said now, gentlemen. Don't make me have to extend a formal invitation. Move your asses now!" She blew her whistle again.

That time the boys took off running.

Eric walked over to talk to his former colleagues and Buddy. "How goes it this mornin', gentlemen?"

"Good, Eric, real good." Buddy replied.

"Can't complain." Mac added.

"I woke up this morning. That's something to be thankful for." Crowley said.

"Mac, Crowley, what the hell brings you two old farts out to my practice?" Eric asked good naturedly.

"I wanted to see my replacement." Mac pointed at Charlie.

"I came out for the same reason. Buddy and Lucy have been singing her praises pretty loudly. It takes a lot to impress those two." Crowley gave the same reasons as Mac.

"I have to say she's pretty damn good. She's got those boys hoppin' to it. I'm surprised that they are bein' so good about takin' orders from a woman." Mac was an old school good ol' boy of course he would have that position on the matter.

"I think she's used to dealin' with men who don't like takin' orders from women. Mac, it's comments like that that get you into trouble. So do me a favor and keep that opinion to yourself. The last thing I need is my boys gettin' it into their heads that they ain't gotta listen to her 'cause she's a woman." Eric rubbed his hand over his face.

"Hell, Eric, no one is gonna say anything like that when it comes to her. The only thing we give a damn about is that she can coach football." Buddy interrupted.

"We do take our football very seriously 'round these parts." Eric chuckled a little.

"Miller, how the hell is a guy supposed to take this? Coach Taylor is hot as hell." Denny whispered to Austin as they took their places on the field.

"Dude, you need to shut up. You are gonna get us in trouble." Austin whispered back.

"Miller, get this red jersey on now." Charlie threw it to him.

"Yes, ma'am." Austin pulled it on over his uniform.

"Now I want you gentlemen to try to impress me. Show me that you're worth all the work that Riggins, Saracen, Williams, and Clarke put into you." Charlie got them lined up.

"What play did you want us to run, Coach?" Austin asked.

"Surprise me, Miller. Pick a play." Charlie blew her whistle.

"Blue twenty-two, blue twenty-two, down, set, hike." Austin took the snap and dropped back into the pocket.

"That's it, Miller, on your toes. Keep your feet light. Get that ball off." Charlie yelled at him.

Austin released the ball and threw a solid ten-yard pass.

"I didn't hate it, Miller." Charlie clapped her hands.

"That was a damn nice pass, Miller. Damn nice, but it could be better." Eric observed.

"I think we may need to invite your war council to our trainin' camp. Miller and Bishop look sharp. They look good. They weren't even winded after they ran those bleachers. Coach, I have a few ideas if you're open to them." Charlie crossed her arms. "Don't just stand there. Run another play."

"I'm open to all suggestions. We'll have a talk about it later. I do have a surprise for you at the end of practice though." Eric patted her back and walked away.

"Bishop, I know that we're not goin' live with this play, but put a little more effort into it. Drive those legs, son." Charlie turned back to the players.

Eric paced back and forth in front of the whole team at the end of practice. "Gentlemen, that may have been one of the sorriest displays of football I've ever seen in my life. That's why we started to work so early though. We will turn this around. It's hotter than blue blazes out here and I'm sure ya'll want to go to the pool and cool off. Bring it in one more time and then I'm gonna turn you over to Coach Taylor before you're free for the day. Clear eyes, full hearts,"

"Can't lose!" They answered him in unison.

"Coach, they're yours give 'em a taste of what you've got in store for them this season." Eric turned them over to Charlie.

"Gentlemen, line up in the end zone. You will go on my whistle. Listen carefully. You're gonna give me one full field suicide, then you will grab two laps around the track, after that two circuits around the bleachers, you're then gonna sprint from end zone to end zone. After that you are done for the day." Charlie blew her whistle.

"Damn, I'd hate to see what you'd do to them if they pissed you off." Billy laughed.

"This is a little light cardio compared to what I have in store for them this year." Charlie smirked.

"Coach, she's a damn sadist." Spivey chuckled.

"She's a visionary, gentlemen. This should whip them right into shape." Eric laughed with them.

* * *

"Oh my God!" Julie shrieked. "Matt, hand me another diaper. Hurry." She laughed. She had Hayes laying on his changing table and he was peeing straight up into the air.

Matt grabbed a diaper. "Cover him up he's gettin' it all over himself."

"This is worse than that leak we had in the sink at home." Julie covered him up.

"At least we know he has good aim already." Matt grinned.

"What in the world are ya'll doin' in here?" Tami stuck her head in the door to see what all the commotion was about.

"We aren't doing anything. Your precious little baby boy just tried to pee on me." Julie retorted.

"I don't think he was tryin' to pee on you. I think he had to pee and he just let it fly because he's a baby and that's what he does. Don't bother puttin' a diaper on him. He needs a bath." Tami laughed.

"This isn't funny, mom. I'm pretty sure he did it with malicious intent." Julie stressed.

"Come here, my precious boy. Did you try to pee on your sissy?" Tami picked Hayes up and kissed his cheek.

"I don't think he tried to pee on you, Julie. I think you just didn't cover him up with a diaper fast enough." Matt's face was red from holding in his laughter.

"Matt, I don't want to hear from you. You were no help at all." Julie huffed.

"Why don't you two go babysit Gracie Belle? She is more your speed. I'm gonna take this little turkey into the kitchen and give him a bath in the sink." Tami undressed him and blew raspberries on his belly.

Hayes smiled and stuck his tongue out.

"Tami, I think he likes bein' naked. Look at him smilin' like that." Matt tickled his belly.

"I think that's his way of saying I win Julie." Julie rolled her eyes.

"Both of you leave him alone. He's a sweetheart. Go watch your sister like I asked." Tami gathered a clean set of clothes for him and his bath stuff.

"Whatever you say, mom. At least she doesn't pee and spit up all over me." Julie grabbed Matt's hand and led him off.

"Let's go get you cleaned up. I think you've soured your sister on wantin' to have a baby for a while. Good job, Bubba. Yes, that's a very good job." Tami cooed at him.

She put his bath seat in the sink and turned on the water. Once she got the water to the right temperature she sat him in the seat. "There you go. We have to get you all clean. Your daddy is gonna be home any minute and he's gonna wanna cuddle and love on you. You have to be clean for that to happen."

"Tami, are you bathing a baby or basting a turkey over there?" Shelly sat down at the counter.

"Aunt Shelly needs a boyfriend. If she had one she wouldn't have the time to bother momma." Tami didn't bother to turn to face her sister.

"Momma needs to get laid." Shelly quipped back.

"Shelly, you have a sick fascination with my sex life. I don't know what I'm gonna do with you." Tami shook her head.

"Oh, I do not. I like giving you a hard time. I love you though." Shelly leaned in on her elbows.

"I love you too, but you're an ass." Tami replied. She washed the baby and put his towel over her shoulder.

"You're an ass too." Shelly retorted.

"Now, you are all clean. Don't try to pee on your sister anymore." Tami started to dry him off.

"Tami, he is gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up. Look at the smile on his face right now." Shelly melted at the sight of her nephew's smile.

"He has Eric's smile doesn't he?" Tami carried him over to the couch and put his diaper and clean outfit on him.

"He really does. Imagine the stud that he's gonna be one day. He'll have those little rally girls hanging off of him in droves." Shelly commented just to get under her skin.

"Shelly, shut up. Why do I even like you?" Tami kissed both his cheeks. "You are always so happy."

"Because I'm your little sister and you love me." Shelly winked at her.

"That explains why I don't like you sometimes." Tami smirked at her. At that moment there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it, don't worry." She went to answer the door with the baby in her arms.

"T Tami, hey, darlin'." Buddy had his usual dopey grin on his face.

"Hey, Buddy, Eric isn't here right now. What can I do for you?" Tami resigned herself the fact that Buddy was just going to show up whenever he wanted to.

"I'm not here to see Eric I'm here to see you. I got wind of something with the budget affecting the team. I gotta talk to you, Principal T Tami." Buddy clasped his hands together.

"Come on in, Buddy. I know I won't get rid of you unless I hear you out." Tami waved him in.

"Oh my goodness, is this the Panthers' future star quarterback?" Buddy tickled Hayes under his chin.

"It is. Buddy, this is Eric Taylor Junior. We call him Hayes though." Tami introduced them.

"It's nice to meet you, Hayes. I'm Buddy I have a feeling that you and I are gonna get to be great pals." Buddy shook his little hand.

"What can I do for you, Buddy?" Tami asked him.

"I heard it through the grapevine that our funding for busing our East Dillion players to our campus might be getting cut." Buddy got right down to business.

"It's one of the many items on the budget under review right now. Money is tight. I'm havin' to decide between soap and paper towels. I'm not even jokin' 'bout that. I was gonna talk to you 'bout this issue anyway." Tami replied.

"T Tami, go ahead and get your soap and paper towels." Buddy pulled a check out of his pocket and handed it to her. "The boosters have it taken care of."

Tami looked at the check and her eyes went wide. "That is a lot of zeros. Buddy, that more than covers it."

"You know we take care of our players." Buddy smiled.

"I never thought that I'd say this, but, Buddy, you and I are gonna make a great team. We are gonna get that school a new library and we are gonna use football to do it." Tami told him. She'd learn from the mistakes she had made the last time. It was time to use the football culture of Dillion to her advantage.

"What did you have in mind?" Buddy asked her.

"I don't know yet, but we will come up with somethin'. Do we have a deal?" Tami stuck out her free hand to him.

"It's a deal. We will get those kids that new library." Buddy shook her hand.

"We are gonna do some good for this school together." Tami replied.

"We sure are." Buddy agreed with her.

"Tami, you know you just sold your soul to the devil don't you?" Shelly asked her once Buddy had gone.

"Buddy Garrity isn't the devil he's just one of his distant cousins." Tami quipped.

"You are so twisted." Shelly rolled her eyes.

"I don't wanna know 'bout this conversation. So I won't ask." Eric walked in with Charlie. "Why did I just see Buddy drivin' up the street?"

"He came to see me. You don't wanna know about that either. It's Buddy I think that's all I have to say on the matter for you to know all you need to." Tami gave him a look.

"You're right. Now, let me see my boy." Eric lifted Hayes from her shoulder. "Come here you. How was your day? Did you have a good day with your momma? I could just eat you up. Yes, I could. Give those fingers you're always chewin' on them they must taste good."

"Ric, that's a little demented. You may need to check yourself into an institution." Charlie had just come out of the guest room where she had changed out of her work clothes.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Just mind your business, kid." Eric argued with her without bothering to look away from his son.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm not a kid anymore." Charlie rolled her eyes. "Shelly, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I worked up a whole listing for you based on your budget. I have all kinda houses to show you." Shelly got up and grabbed her briefcase.

"You're lookin' at listings already? You don't have to be in any rush to get out of here." Eric looked up at her.

"I'm not in a rush. I just wanted to take a look around at some different places. I'm a big girl, Eric. I need my own space and I don't want to be underfoot for too long. I'm used to livin' alone. Don't think I won't be over here all the time anyway. You're not gettin' rid of me that easily. I want to see the sister I should have had instead of the two brothers I got stuck with. And I want to see my niece and nephew." Charlie assured him.

"I still don't understand why you like my wife better than me." Eric frowned.

"I love you and you know it. I know that I'm not the most feminine woman in the entire world, but every now and then I do need a woman to talk to." Charlie gave him a look.

"Eric, leave her alone. You know that she likes you better than anyone else." Tami laughed at him.

"Just because you're always right doesn't mean I like to hear you talk 'bout it. Where are my daughters? They are the only women in my life that don't give me any trouble." Eric scoffed.

"Julie and Matt took Gracie to the pool. They will be back in a little while. They are such a big help I'm gonna miss them when they go back to Chicago." Tami answered him.

"You and me both." Eric nodded his head.

* * *

"Tim, set me up and keep 'em comin' 'til I tell you to stop." Charlie sat down on a barstool in Buddy's bar after she got done looking at houses with Shelly.

"It's only one this must be serious if you're hittin' the hard stuff this early." Tim sat a glass on the bar and filled it with whiskey.

"You don't know me that well yet so I'm gonna let you in on a little secret about me. Nothin' serious has to be wrong for me to drink like this in the middle of the afternoon. I only drink when I'm thirsty." Charlie smirked.

"Fair enough." Tim nodded his head. "How did the first practice go?"

"It was a shit show. The only bright spots were Miller and Bishop. You boys are pretty good coaches for a bunch of drunk frat boys." Charlie threw her drink back like it was a shot and sighed in satisfaction.

"I'm good for more than just pourin' drinks. I have a lot of football knowledge kickin' around up in my head." Tim poured another drink for them both.

"Riggins, I know what I'm doin' in a bar this time of day. What are you doin' here?" Charlie questioned him.

"It's a long story. It's obviously dead in here right now, so I've got some time if you wanna hear it." Tim drained his glass.

Charlie tossed back her drink. "I'm game. I have nothin' better to do."

"Here's the deal. I tell you why I'm here this time of day and you tell me why you're here." Tim poured another round.

"You have yourself a deal." Charlie picked up her glass. "Cheers,"

Tim clicked glasses with hers. "No regrets." After they had drained their glasses he gave her his backstory. "And that's pretty much how I ended up here. You're turn. Why are you in a bar in the middle of the afternoon?"

"That is not such a long story, but it's clichéd story. I've been in a combat zone I've seen things and now I have trouble sleepin' at night sometimes. And if I can sleep I don't sleep much. That's why I'm always up at the crack of dawn. And that's my story." Charlie kept it brief.

"I think you're tryin' to cheap out on me a little bit, but I'll allow it this time. Next time you come in here you're gonna have to give me a little bit more than that." Tim replied.

"Who says that there is gonna be a next time?" Charlie arched her eyebrow.

"I know people like you. People like you don't believe in shrinks so you come to bartenders for therapy." Tim looked her in the eyes.

"Touché. I'll be back if only because I need someone other than my brother to talk football with." Charlie retorted.

"You're trouble aren't you, Taylor?" Tim chuckled.

"I'm the good kinda trouble. That's the kinda trouble that you aren't." Charlie shot back.

"And here I thought we were startin' to be friends." Tim grinned at her.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 9

"Back again today, Taylor?" Tim had a towel thrown over his shoulder. He turned around and grabbed a glass and a whiskey bottle.

"Those boys' performance is drivin' me to it, Riggins." Charlie took a seat on a barstool.

"I'm no paragon or virtue and clean living or anythin' like that, but it's a little early in the morning for me to be feeding you shots of Jack. That's just a thought though." Tim sat her glass in front of her.

"I didn't ask for the whiskey you just assumed. I didn't even come in here to get a drink at all. I came in here to talk football with you." Charlie didn't turn down the glass of whiskey though.

"Shoot," Tim made a give it to me gesture with his hands.

"We are holdin' a special practice tonight after the sun goes down. I'm thinkin' of it as special skills practice. Eric wants his war council in on it. We are gonna run these practices every night until the guys start to improve. We've got to strip them down and build them back up. Like my brother said someone put it in their heads that they are football gods and they just aren't that good." Charlie threw back her glass of whiskey and sighed.

"I'll be there for sure. When you say special skills what did you have in mind?" Tim was curious.

"I was thinkin' along the lines of some unorthodox trainin'. Pushin' wheelbarrows full of bricks through an obstacle course. Stuff like that." Charlie shrugged her shoulders.

"I like your style, Taylor. I think that this is the beginnin' of a beautiful friendship." Tim grinned wickedly.

"I agree. I finally found someone just as sadistic as I am." Charlie smirked.

"Tim, are you even allowed to serve alcohol this early?" Tyra and Julie walked into the otherwise empty bar.

"If I have payin' costumers I am." Tim replied.

"I'm past the point of even tryin' to reason with you. You would put whiskey in your cornflakes if you thought you could get away with it." Tyra leaned over the bar and kissed him.

"Puttin' whiskey in your cornflakes is an option? I wish I would have known that. It would have saved me a trip to the bar." Charlie quipped.

"Why are you so profoundly screwed up in the head?" Julie asked her aunt.

"There are not enough hours in the day for me to explain that to you. We could start with my father who it is impossible to please or I could blame it on the fact that I have two older brothers. Even better than that though we could just drink on it. No talkin' needed that way. Drinkin' does me more good than talkin' ever could. I have more fun, I control the flow of conversation, and it doesn't leave me all raw and vulnerable feelin'. It's a win-win situation." Charlie gave her a long drawn out answer.

"When you say things like that it makes me think that you have some serious issues." Julie looked at her like she was crazy.

"Julie, you don't have to worry about me I'm just fine. Walk me to the truck. I've got to get out of here before your mother has a heart attack. I'm supposed to be helpin' her with somethin'." Charlie climbed down off her stool. "Riggins, I will see you tonight. Bring your A game." She slapped a ten-dollar bill down on the bar.

"I will see you then, Chuck." Tim threw her a mock salute.

"Behave yourself until then, Rig." Charlie saluted him back.

"He doesn't know the meaning of that word." Tyra informed her.

"I could tell that just by lookin' at him." Charlie laughed as she walked out the door.

"So, I'm gonna ask you for a favor and you're gonna be a really great aunt and promise me that you won't do what I'm about to ask you not to do." Julie rambled a little bit. She leaned up against the side of Charlie's truck.

"Ok, I think I followed that. Tell me what it is that you don't want me to do." Charlie took her Panthers' cap off and put it on the dashboard.

"Aunt Charlie, I'm begging you please do not sleep with any of my friends. Or if you absolutely have to don't sleep with Tim Riggins. That's all I'm asking you." Julie chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

Charlie threw back her head and laughed. "Julie, when compared to me your friends are little boys. I'm not gonna go there. You heard me tell Smash the other night that I don't go that young. Besides that, Riggins has a girlfriend. I'm damn sure not gonna put you in that position. She's your best friend."

"Tyra isn't really his girlfriend. They have this song and dance that they do. Neither one of them really know what they want." Julie explained to her.

"Any other favors you want to ask me for that aren't really favors cause I wasn't gonna go there anyway?" Charlie arched her eyebrow.

"Uh, no I have nothing else I need from you. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut. Because from what I know about you the sure fire way to get you to do something is to tell you not to do it." Julie started rambling again.

"That really only applies to my parents and my brothers. You are my beloved oldest niece who I would do anything in this world for. You asked me not to go there and I won't. I can get my own men I don't need to go wadin' in the kiddie pool for boyfriends. Grown ass men are hard enough to date I don't need little twenty-one and twenty-two-year-old teenage boys." Charlie assured her.

"Thanks, Aunt Charlie." Julie smiled in relief.

"You don't have to thank me for bein' a decent human bein'. Anyone with any sense would do the same thing." Charlie climbed up into the cab of her truck.

"You're still not right in the head though." Julie got in a parting shot.

"Julie, tell me somethin' that I don't already know." Charlie waved at her before she drove off.

* * *

"Eric, you have to call the party supply place. That is the only thing that I need you to do for all of this." Tami was on the phone dealing with school business and trying to talk to her husband at the same time.

"It's on my list, Tami. I'm gonna go over there in person later." Eric kept trying to call someone on his cell phone. "Where the hell is that kid?"

"I had an errand to run and I would really appreciate it if you stopped referrin' to me as a kid." Charlie came into the door and hung her hat up on the hook by the door.

"I wasn't talkin' 'bout you for a change. I'm tryin' to get ahold of Matt. I want him to come to that special practice tonight, but he's on some art buyin' trip or somethin'." Eric corrected her.

Charlie pulled her shirt off like it was no big deal and headed towards the bedrooms. "I'll be right back, Tami, you can tell me what you need from me then."

"I swear she has no shame when it comes to her body." Eric hung his head.

"If I had a body like that I wouldn't be shy about it either. That girl seriously needs to thank someone for those boobs." Shelly remarked.

"Shelly, that is my baby sister I don't care to think about her in those terms." Eric scowled.

"Get that turned on for me as soon as possible thank you." Tami finally hung up the phone. "Eric, she does have a body to kill for. And, Shelly, he's her big brother he really doesn't wanna hear that."

"I work out two sometimes three times a day, I eat like crap, and I drink like a fish. Most of this is thanks to good genetics." Charlie was buckling her belt in her jeans.

"I'd like to have a few of those genetics. I wouldn't have to beat myself to death trying to lose this baby weight if I did." Tami looked her up and down.

"I told you not to worry about that. I have a plan worked out for you. Now, what can I do to help?" Charlie sat down at the counter.

"You can take your nephew shopping for an outfit to wear to his christening. I'm gonna trust you with that and hope to God that you can handle it." Tami pointed a finger at her.

"I can handle that. I can do more than handle that. All you have to do is find an outfit. You could give me somethin' a little harder to deal with." Charlie pulled her hair into a pony tail.

"Charlie, I'm gonna tell you somethin' and I'm not gonna sugar coat it. You're abrasive on the best of days. She can't trust you to coordinate all the family members without losing it on one of them." Eric raised his eyebrow.

"Good point. I will just take the boy child to the mall and we will find an outfit." Charlie nodded her head.

"Do I have to tell you how to dress in a church?" Tami tilted her head to the side.

"I said I'd help. I didn't say anythin' 'bout steppin' foot in a church or gettin' dressed up." Charlie put both her hands up.

"You know that you're gonna go. And I'm just sayin' I don't think you own anythin' that aren't jeans." Tami just sort of looked at her.

"I own pants that aren't jeans. I own very nice dress pants just so you know. If that was your way of askin' me if I own a dress no I do not. And no I'm not gonna change that now. You can tell my mother that I said nice try. I am who I am. I've been that way for almost thirty years and I'm not gonna change now." Charlie winked at her.

"I told you that wasn't gonna work. Mom used to try to trick her into eatin' her vegetables and that never worked. One of these days you two are gonna figure out that she's bullheaded and she's gonna do what she wants when she wants to do it. That's why she's so damn good at bein' in charge. She knows how to break people who are as stubborn and bullheaded as she is." Eric shook his head.

"Hayes, we are gonna go to the mall so I don't give into temptation and do somethin' really not nice to your daddy. I need my wallet and keys. We'll see if your sissy wants to go with us. I just gotta go outside and put your car seats in my truck." Charlie tickled the baby's belly.

"Charlie, just take Eric's car. It'll be easier than switching everything out." Tami handed her Eric's keys.

"Tami, I'm gonna need to use your car today. As long as I'm here helping out I figure that I will get a little work in." Shelly told Tami.

Charlie took her truck keys out of her pocket. "Ya'll are trustin' me with your kids. I can trust you with my baby. It's got a full tank of gas. Take him out and see what he can do. Find an open field somewhere and do some donuts. Relive your teenage years in the truck you wanted, but daddy wouldn't pay for it."

Eric took the keys from her. "Says the woman who got the truck she wanted when she turned sixteen. I will take that under advisement though."

"Eric, if you don't take me for a ride in that truck I'm takin' it myself." Tami snatched the keys from him.

Charlie took Hayes out of his bouncy seat. "Let's go get you dressed. You are gettin' ready to go on an adventure with Aunt Charlie." She carried him into his room.

"Are we sure about this?" Eric asked his wife.

"She's solid. We leave 'em with my sister all the time. I don't think yours can do any worse." Tami shrugged her shoulders.

"Let's take her truck and drive it like we stole it before she changes her mind. She's very serious about her truck." Eric replied.

"Just try not to get picked up by the cops like you did in high school. I gotta go." Shelly waved at them.

"You wanna change and then we can go?" Eric asked.

"Just give me a minute." Tami replied.

* * *

"You know I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong. This was actually a pretty damn good idea." Eric was stretched out in the bed of the truck with his hat pulled down over his eyes. He had one arm around his wife and in his other hand was a cold beer.

"This is very nice. No hyper little girl running all around and no baby crying. This is just what we needed. Lord knows that I love 'em both to death, but they can be a lot of work." Tami laid her head on his chest.

"I don't think I say this enough, but I love and appreciate you so much. You do a lot takin' care of me and the kids and the house. I don't know how I would make it without you." He kissed the top of her head.

"You still love me after twenty years of marriage and three kids later? Even though I'm nowhere near as young or skinny as I used to be?" She looked up at him her eyes searching his face for any signs of concern.

"I still love you. I will always love you. You look even better now than you did before you had the three kids. They've only added to your overall beauty." Eric ran his hand up and down her back.

"Oh, honey, I'm gonna remember that comment right there. I love you so much." Tami kissed him slowly.

"Mmm, I love you too." Eric looked at her through half closed eyes.

"You wanna live dangerously?" She had a mischievous look on her face.

"Just what did you have in mind?" He pulled his hat up off his eyes. He'd seen this look on her face numerous times before.

"I was thinkin' that we are all alone out here, it's hot, and there is a nice big lake over there callin' our names." She pulled her t-shirt off to reveal her bikini top.

"Oh, Tami, your body doesn't have a damn thing wrong with it." He stared up at her totally in awe.

She shimmied out of her cutoffs. "Thanks, honey."

"You are so welcome." He was in a trance from her movements.

"You just gonna lay there like that or are you gonna join me?" She slid off the tailgate.

"What kind of stupid man do you think I am? Of course I'm gonna join you." Eric pulled his shirt off and jumped out of the bed of the truck.

"I hope you can still keep up." Tami ran towards the lake and jumped in.

He ran after her finally catching up to her in the water. "I'm a football coach I'm still in good shape. I think I can keep up with you just fine."

She put both her arms around his neck. "I was hopin' that was the case."

"Why, Principal Taylor, if I didn't know any better I'd say that you were tryin' to come on to me." He grinned.

"You'd like that wouldn't you, Coach? Your son isn't that old yet. You're just gonna have to wait a little while longer for that yet." She kissed his nose.

"You sure he isn't about ten now? I think he might be old enough." He squinted his eyes like he was thinking about it.

"He's not that old yet, but it was a really great try though. I appreciate your effort." She kissed him and laughed.

"I do always put in my best effort." He made his eyebrows dance.

"I think that you need to cool off, mister." Tami swam away from him.

"Hey, now, you hang on just a minute." Eric swam after her.

"I'm not hangin' on. You better keep up." She splashed water at him.

"Oh, I see you wanna start somethin'." He splashed water back at her.

"You better stop talkin' and start swimmin' then. That's only if you don't wanna get beat by a girl." She glided along the surface of the water in long smooth strokes.

"Only in your dreams are you gonna beat me." He chased after her.

"Alright, I know this kid is always prepared for everythin'. She's gotta have a towel in here somewhere." Eric dug around the cab of Charlie's truck looking for something to dry off on.

"Hon, with as hot as it is you don't have to worry about dryin' off." Tami pointed out to him.

"It's not so much that I need a towel, but I need somethin' to lay on cause that truck bed is gonna be hot." He came across a sea bag and opened it. "Found a blanket." He pulled it out of the bag.

"She really takes that always be prepared thing seriously." She took the blanket from him and spread it across the bed of the truck.

"Good thing for us. After all that I'm gonna need another beer." He laid out and grabbed another beer from the cooler.

"You keep that up and I'm drivin' home. I'm drivin' home and your assistant coaches are runnin' your special practice." She laid beside him with her head on his chest.

"You just wanna drive this truck. Hell, if I didn't think she'd shoot me I'd steal this truck from her." He cracked his beer open.

"I think she'd shoot Mike before she'd shot you. You're her favorite. Even if we did apparently scar her for life by leavin' her with Shelly a time or two." She laughed.

"Your sister has that effect on people." The corners of his eyes crinkled up with laughter.

"I won't even argue that one with you. She makes me crazy on a good day." She agreed with him.

* * *

"Ok, let's get you out of the car and into this restaurant before your Aunt Charlie dies of embarrassment from drivin' a soccer mom car." Charlie took Gracie out of her booster seat and Hayes' car seat of the base. She offered her niece her hand. "Ready?" She put the diaper bag over her shoulder.

"Ready," Gracie took her hand.

Charlie walked into the restaurant with them. "Look, Gracie, there's your momma and daddy." She pointed out Eric and Tami.

"Hey, monkey, did you have a good day with Aunt Charlie?" Eric picked his daughter up and sat her on his lap.

Gracie nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Did you have any trouble out either of them?" Tami asked her sister-in-law.

"Not an ounce of trouble out of either of 'em. They were even good when I left 'em both in the car for an hour while I sat in the bar." Charlie quipped.

"Charlie, you have a dark sense of humor. I know that you wouldn't do that. knowin' you as well as I do you probably spoiled both of them rotten." Tami shook her head. She took Hayes out of his seat and put him over her shoulder.

"I did spoil them just a little. Only a little bit though." Charlie knew that she was lying when she said that.

"We probably have vastly different definitions of that term." Eric arched both his eyebrows.

"Tami, is my brother drunk?" Charlie asked.

"I think that's a safe bet." Tami replied.

Charlie looked out the window and checked on her truck. "I see you disrespected my truck. It's still way too clean. I told you to test the limits."

"If there would have been a decent mud hole around I would have gotten it dirtier. That is one sweet setup you've got. I can see why you like it so much. The horse power in that thing is amazing." Eric told her.

"If you think that's sweet you should test out my boat." Charlie retorted.

"Good lord, girl, how many play things do you have?" Tami's jaw hung open.

"The truck, a boat, and a motorcycle. Mom doesn't know about the motorcycle and I'm gonna keep it that way. I don't want to give her a heart attack." Charlie listed off.

Eric hid behind his hands so Tami couldn't see what he was saying. "Let me drive that motorcycle."

"Charlie, you let him anywhere near that motorcycle and I will use the dirt that I have on you." Tami put her foot down.

"You don't have to worry 'bout that. I don't think he could handle it. I'll keep him occupied with the truck for a little while." Charlie winked at her.

"Alright, Coach, let's talk a little football." Eric leaned over the table. "Have you got everythin' set up for this special practice?"

"Yeah we are ready to go there. I've got a few special drills in mind for specific positions. The way I see it our backfield and most of our defense both have the same problem. They're slow. I could run circles around them. Miller and Bishop aren't slow, but the rest of the backfield has to get up to speed with them or it's not gonna do any good." Charlie went into business mode.

"Offense is our bright spot right now. We can speed them up. Defense is our problem right now. They are slow and they tire out quick. I don't know who had the defense last year, but they are sloppy and undisciplined. They are a damn mess." Eric grumbled.

"You want that to change give them to me for a few weeks. Practice doesn't officially start for another three weeks. You give me that long to work with them and you'll see an improvement. I will run their asses ragged." Charlie jumped at the chance to put the fear of God into those boys.

"Ya'll can we have maybe one meal where we don't talk about football?" Tami begged them.

"If we don't talk football what are we gonna talk about?" Eric asked.

"Things other than football exist?" Charlie wore a look of shock on her face.

"I honestly forgot how bad you two are together." Tami shook her head at them.

"We're not that bad." Eric scoffed. "Gracie Belle, tell your momma that your daddy and your aunt aren't that bad."

"Gracie Belle, don't listen to your daddy right now." Tami laughed. "Nice try, honey."

* * *

"Miller, what the hell do you think this all is?" Denny whispered to Austin.

"Bishop, I have no clue. I wouldn't be surprised if Coach Tim and Coach Matt were behind it. This looks like one of their drills." Austin whispered back.

"Lock it up people the real coaches are gonna be here any minute." Tim barked out at them.

"We got tasked with warming you up. Miller, Bishop, line 'em up and start stretching." Matt snapped his fingers.

"Line up, ya'll." Landry clapped his hands.

Tim and Matt both just looked at him.

"You think that you guys are the only ones allowed to give orders? I'm good for more than just steering the truck while they push it." Landry crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sure, Lando, whatever you say." Tim went along with him.

"Ya'll heard Coach Landry, line up!" Matt yelled at them.

After they had got all stretched out Tim blew his whistle. "The big coaches should be here any minute. Until they get here you boys are gonna run laps around the bleachers. On my whistle, go." He blew his whistle again.

"That should keep them busy until the coaches show up." Matt checked his watch.

"Chuck texted me and said that they were ten minutes out. This should keep them busy until they show up. They are givin' us a few minutes to work with them before they get here." Tim replied.

"I just don't get the point of this plan, but I'm gonna go along with it." Landry grumbled.

"Pick up your knees! Come on! Move it faster!" Tim screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Damn that was impressive, Timmy." Billy walked up next to him.

"Learned from one of the best didn't I?" Tim smirked.

"Gentlemen, put forth more effort than this! I will have satisfaction!" Billy screamed.

"Billy, one of these days I think you're gonna have a stroke from yellin' at them like that." Eric rubbed his temples and groaned. He was paying for his afternoon drinking binge.

Charlie gave two short bursts of her whistle. "Listen up, boys! Two more laps around the bleachers and you're done with your warmups. Then the real work begins."

"I still say that she enjoys torturing them way too much." Spivey muttered.

"She really does and hopefully they end up better off for it. Between her and Billy we have two crazy people on the coaching staff. They are bound to learn somethin' from one of them." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time please review.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 10

"Gentlemen, pick up your pace! We've been out here for hours. I can keep you longer if this is as much effort as you're gonna give me. Coach Taylor is not gonna be impressed!" Charlie yelled at the defense. She had called a special early morning practice just so she could run them.

"Coach, I don't think we can run anymore, yo." One of the players stopped in front of her panting with his hands on his knees.

"Hernandez, move your ass! I'll tell you when you can't run anymore. We will run from now until this time tomorrow unless I start seein' a little more hustle from you! Move it! Move it! Move it!" Charlie barked at him.

Hernandez started running again.

Charlie waited for him to make it a full lap around the track before she blew her whistle. "I was gonna call it a mornin' and let you gentlemen go home now, but since Mr. Hernandez has a big mouth I'm gonna get creative. Listen up I'm not gonna repeat myself. You're gonna give me a suicide, a lap around the track, a lap around the bleachers, once you finish with the bleachers you are gonna give me fifty up downs, and we are gonna cap that off with another lap around the track."

The was met with a chorus of groans.

"Suck it up, ladies! My grandma has a busted hip and she could give me more hustle than you. You start showin' me a little more hustle and then maybe you will have the right to complain! Now, we are gonna go on my whistle!" Charlie paused for a moment before she blew her whistle.

There was a light burning in the living room window when Charlie pulled her truck into Eric's driveway. She grabbed her gym bag out of the bag seat. She took her shoes off on the front porch to keep from making too much noise when she walked inside and she used her key to let herself in.

"Charlie, don't you dare leave your gym bag or shoes by that door." Tami whisper yelled at her.

Charlie held up her gym bag and shoes and made a show out of sitting them underneath the table where no one could trip over them. "That ok for you?"

"It'll do for now." Tami replied.

Charlie walked over and eased herself down in the chair across from where Tami sat on the couch with Hayes. "My aim is to please you."

"You're such a smart ass. Are you just gettin' in from a night of drinkin' or have you been up to somethin' else?" Tami smiled down at Hayes.

"The latter. I got the defense outta bed at two thirty this mornin' and ran them full pads and gear until I thought I was gonna pass out from boredom." Charlie shrugged her shoulders.

"I thought Eric suspended practices for the weekend because they need a break and because he's super busy." Tami looked confused.

"He did, but I wanted to keep those crybabies honest. I was up and couldn't sleep I thought I'd return the favor." Charlie laughed.

"I have the opposite problem I can sleep, but I'm up right now, because of this little noisemaker. Your brother could sleep through a hurricane. Why can't you sleep? I've noticed that you're up and down a lot durin' the night." Tami picked at the loose thread of Charlie's story.

"Insomnia is not fun at all." Charlie skirted the line of outright lying.

"Did you go to the doctor and look into what the underlying cause of that is?" Tami inquired.

"Do you even know who you're talkin' to right now?" Charlie made a joke out of it.

"Don't try to play this off like it's nothin' this is a serious problem. It could be a psychological thing." Tami pointed out to her.

"Tami," Charlie gave her a look.

"Charlotte," Tami arched her eyebrow.

"If you drop this I will take that baby and let you go get some sleep. What you need to do right now is weigh what's more important to you diggin' into my business or gettin' some much needed sleep." Charlie painted her into a corner.

Tami stood up and placed the baby in her arms. "No take backs and this isn't over by a long shot. You win for right now, but this is to be continued."

"I have no doubt in my mind. Don't tell my mother." Charlie adjusted Hayes in her arms.

"I won't. If I think it's really serious I'll tell your brothers on you. His extra bottles are in the fridge if he gets hungry again." Tami excused herself before they could get into it. She picked up her shoes and gym bag and tossed them into the guest room to get them out of the way.

"Hayes, what do you say we turn on ESPN and see what's goin' on?" Charlie kissed his head and turned on the tv.

* * *

"Tami, hon, why is our son sleepin' on the couch with his aunt?" Eric peeked over the back of the couch to check on Hayes. He pulled a blanket over him and Charlie.

"Charlie came in from practice the last time he woke up to eat. She offered to take him so we could sleep in before this circus starts and I took her up on that offer." Tami kept quiet about the other thing that she and her sister-in-law had talked about.

"Practice? I gave those boys the day off. And why in the world was she runnin' practice that late or early or however you wanna phrase it?" Eric frowned.

"She was workin' the defense. You know as much as I do, hon." Tami laughed and kissed his cheek.

"I'm torn between lettin' her sleep and wakin' her up before my parents get here, so my dad doesn't make a huge deal outta it." Eric rolled his eyes. He loved his father, but he was a hard man to please.

"Let her sleep. I don't think your parents are comin' until this afternoon." Tami told him.

"When are your parents comin'?" Eric asked.

"I have no clue, I just know that they will be here today." Tami answered him truthfully.

"Tami, I know that this house is bigger, but I don't know where we're gonna put everyone. Gracie Belle and Hayes are gonna be out here with us. Julie and Matt are gonna have to vacate the room they are stayin in. Shelly is gonna have to go somewhere. And then I have no idea where we are gonna put Charlie." Eric listed off.

"Gracie Belle and Hayes are gonna bunk down in his room. Julie and Matt have agreed to sleep on the floor in there. Shelly should be able to stay put. We will stick my mom and dad in one of the guests rooms and yours can go in the other. Mike can go in Gracie's room it'll be a tight fit for him, but he can swing it. I think we can actually stay in our bedroom too. That just leaves Charlie who can obviously sleep anywhere and she has different choices. The couch, the garage, the back yard." Tami gave him the rundown.

"This right here is why I married you. You've got it covered." Eric pecked her lips.

"Hon, I already know that I'm smarter than you are. I don't need you to tell me that." Tami smiled against his lips.

"Here's a damn good question for you. Our parents live here. Why do they have to stay here?" Eric wondered out loud.

"I don't know, Eric, I guess they wanna see their grandchildren. I don't understand our parents any more than you do." Tami rolled her eyes at him.

"Better question; Why does my brother have to stay here?" Eric grumbled.

"Because he's Mike and we don't see him that often. I know that you two are brothers and you get on each other's nerves, but he's a lot of fun and unlike Shelly he cleans up after himself." Tami answered him.

"You have an answer for everythin' don't ya?" Eric's brow furrowed.

"I do. I'm the principal it's my job to have all the answers." Tami winked at him.

A deep rumbling noise came from the driveway.

"One more question. Why the hell does it sound like an airplane just landed in our driveway?" Eric rubbed his hands over his face.

"Well, gee, Eric, my guess is someone just pulled into the driveway." Tami gave him a withering look.

"I gathered that much." Eric frowned again.

"I'll get the door. Don't strain yourself, babe. I don't want the baby to be woke up. Either of 'em. They both sleep light." Tami went to the door. She was talking about Hayes and Charlie.

"Whatever you say, babe." Eric quipped.

Tami opened the door. A dark haired man climbed out of a big black truck with a lift kit on it and walked up to the front porch.

"Well, look at you, sexy. They obviously lied when they said a woman's body goes to hell after she has a baby. If I'd known that I would have gotten married." He looked over the top of his sunglasses.

"Mike, you keep playin' like that and your brother isn't even gonna let you in this house." Tami smiled at him.

Mike hugged her so tight he lifted her off the ground. "Tami, it's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too. Put me down your overgrown child." Tami slapped the back of his head playfully.

"Mike, don't break my wife she's not toy." Eric commented dryly.

"I swear to God no matter how old he gets he's never gonna learn to be respectful of the fact that other people are sleepin'." Charlie grumbled. She sat up and rubbed Hayes' back to lull him back to sleep.

Mike walked in with his arm looped around Tami's shoulder. "Hey, big brother, Tami would like for me to inform you that she's seen the error of her ways and she's leavin' ya for me."

Eric walked over and took Hayes from Charlie. "Mike, it wasn't funny twenty years ago and it's still not funny now."

"Lighten up, big bro. I can't help it that I'm the fun one. I'm loose and flexible. You and Charlie are too rigid like dad." Mike held his hand out to his brother.

"What the hell is that? What are you doin' there? Put that damn thing away we are brothers. Come here, man." Eric hugged him with his free arm.

"You're over here actin' like you ain't happy to see me. How am I supposed to know that you want to hug me?" Mike laughed and hugged him back.

"Wow, you two are dysfunctional idiots." Charlie shook her head at her brothers.

"Let me see this guy." Mike took Hayes out of Eric's arms.

"Hayes, this is your Uncle Mike. I apologize for whatever he and your daddy subject you to." Tami tickled her son under his chin.

"We're not gonna do anythin' to him except maybe toughen him up a little bit. From the look of it he's not gonna need it this is a big boy. These hands are gonna be good for handlin' a ball." Mike looked him over.

"He's a baby not a football prospect, Mike." Tami gave him a withering look.

"He's a future football prospect. We have to get him in trainin' now." Mike retorted.

Hayes started to fuss from being held like a football.

"Ok, someone take him from me. Take him now. These kids start fussin' and I give 'em back to their parents. He gets a little bigger and then I will get to be cool Uncle Mike." Mike passed him off to Tami.

"I'm well versed in that move. He used to do the same thing to me. My personal favorite was Charlie if you go away while I hang out with my friends I'll give you whatever you want once they leave." Charlie dished the dirt on her middle brother.

"I didn't abandon you to make out with my girlfriend though. That goes on the list of things that I didn't do to you." Mike defended himself.

"You just made out with your girlfriends right in front of me." Charlie reminded him.

"That for sure goes on the list of things I did." Mike grinned like he was pleased with himself.

"Then everyone wonders why I have issues." Charlie grumbled.

"No one wonders that at all." Tami chuckled.

"Mike, did you pull up here in an airplane?" Eric asked his brother.

"No, that's the new truck I just bought. It sounds like an airplane that's the diesel engine. It makes that truck of Charlie's look like a Tonka toy." Mike said that just to get under his sister's skin.

"Ike I'm gonna shoot you with Ric's huntin' rifle cause I don't have a clean piece on me right now." Charlie pointed a threatening finger at him.

"How did our sweet baby sister grow up into that?" Mike looked over at Eric.

"I have no idea. If you think that's scary you should see her out on the football field. I don't even wanna open my mouth around her for fear she'll make me run one of her circuits and I'm the head coach. She's scary." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"Tami, isn't there like a noise ordinance around here? How am I supposed to sleep in when it sounds like an airport around here?" Shelly shuffled in wearing her robe.

"Blame him," Tami pointed at Mike.

"Shelly Hayes, lookin' good." Mike gave her a once over and smiled flirtatiously.

Shelly adjusted her robe and blushed a little bit. "Mikey Taylor, it's been a long time."

"It's been too long. I mighta missed out on somethin'." Mike smirked.

"Well, you know that's your loss." Shelly flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Question? Do I have anywhere else I can be right now so I don't have to watch this? Answer; yes, yes I do." Charlie excused herself.

"I think I'm gonna join her in whatever it is she has to do that will get me outta this room." Eric went to follow after her.

"Eric, don't you dare." Tami warned him.

"Well, I needed to go discuss football plays with my assistant coach." Eric pulled that excuse out of his ass.

"You two are around each other all the time you can discuss football plays twenty-four/seven. I on the other hand have to go down to the school for a minute and take care of some principal stuff. I'll be back soon." Tami handed him the baby.

"Tami, don't do it. Don't leave me alone here." Eric begged her.

"Eric, I'm just gonna be real quick, I promise you won't even know that I'm gone." Tami handed him the baby and ran off to the bedroom to change.

"It looks like you're making breakfast, Eric." Shelly patted him on the back.

"It looks like we're havin' cereal then." Eric retorted.

"How 'bout you step back and let the master have use of the kitchen?" Mike suggested. "Get a load of this guy. He thinks that I'm gonna eat cereal when I actually have time for breakfast." He winked at Shelly.

"Tami chose you when he was an option?" Shelly loved to get under Eric's skin.

"Shelly, you don't get it so I can't explain it." Eric replied.

* * *

After Tami finished up what she had to take care of at the school she headed out to the football field. She grabbed the whistle that was laying on the bleachers and blew it. "I think that's enough for today, Coach, grab some water."

Charlie walked over covered in sweat. "I only ran four miles. For me that's a light work out." She wiped the sweat from her forehead using her arm.

"It's also a hundred degrees out. I'm thinkin' that I'm gonna save you from yourself before you die of a heat stroke." Tami gave her a look.

"Really? I hadn't noticed it was that hot out. Anythin' is preferable to bein' at the house and watchin' my brother flirt with your sister. And I really didn't wanna be there when my parents showed up. I planned on runnin' an errand after this." Charlie got a cup of water.

"That's why I was here supervising the installation of the new air conditioner. Mike and Shelly are gonna go there and I don't wanna watch it play out. I'm glad you're here though. I have a favor to ask you." Tami tried to butter her up.

"What do you need, Tami?" Charlie asked.

"It's Texas I had to approve the new air conditioner for the obvious reasons. The budget allowed for that or a teacher." Tami explained to her.

"What are you gettin' at?" Charlie asked.

"You're have a teaching certification and you're already technically a school employee. I talked to Buddy and the boosters are willin' to give you a little pay bump since I can't pay you anythin'." Tami laid it all out for her.

"How many classes and what subject?" Charlie sighed resigned to her fate.

"Two classes every other day in the afternoon the subject is history. Technically one class is US History and the other class is AP US History." Tami told her.

"Alright, I'm in. You're lucky that that happens to be a subject that I know a little somethin' about." Charlie agreed.

"I knew that I'd be able to count on you." Tami smiled at her.

"I had to be good for somethin'." Charlie laughed.

"You're good for a lot of things. I can't believe that you're runnin' in this heat though." Tami looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"If you think this is hot you've never been to the Middle East. Once you've been there in full military gear then we can talk about heat." Charlie retorted.

"I will never understand how you make it in the military with the smartass mouth that you have on you." Tami shook her head.

"I've come close to bein' brought up on charges a couple times for my mouth." Charlie admitted.

"That doesn't surprise me and that right there worries me." Tami pointed over Charlie's shoulder.

Charlie look over her shoulder and saw Matt, Tim, Smash, and Landry walk onto the field each of them carrying a case of beer. "Tami, blow my whistle at them. I swear those guys are creepers hangin' 'round their old high school like they ain't got nothin' better to do."

Tami blew the whistle. "Hey, what are ya'll doin'?"

"You ass clowns get over here!" Charlie yelled at them.

"Chuck, Mrs. Coach, we weren't expectin' to see either of you here today." Tim smiled at them charmingly.

"We were just gonna mess around a little bit and throw a few passes." Matt spoke up.

"Yeah, we were just gonna play around." Landry added.

"They only brought me along for the ride." Smash defended.

"Let's see this is her school and I was goin' for a run. That's what we're doin' here. You people graduated and I'm not sure why you hang out here." Charlie listed off for them.

"Tim, do you really call her Chuck? Charlie is already a nickname and we call her Chip, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone call her Chuck before." Tami looked at Tim like he'd lost it.

"Charlie isn't her name?" Tim looked confused.

"If you don't know what her given name is then I can't tell you. I'm just gonna pretend like I wasn't principal when he graduated." Tami sighed.

"Tim, I'd imagine her name is…" Landry started to say.

"Lance, if you finish that sentence I will kill you." Charlie went back to her brother's tactic of calling Landry by the wrong name.

"Yeah, my name is Landry." Landry grumbled.

"I'm gonna ignore this situation and I'm gonna go back to the house where the apocalypse is no doubt waitin' for me. I rather deal with that than whatever is goin' on here." Tami looked at it as they weren't her problem anymore and they wouldn't do any property damage.

"I'll just stay here for a little while and be along shortly." Charlie volunteered.

"Alright, I never took you for a coward, but if that's what you want." Tami smirked at her before she walked away.

"You're just gonna let her get away with that, Chuck?" Tim asked.

"Yes, I am. She has the power to tell my momma things I don't want her to know, so I just take it. It's better off that way. Now, which one of you is gonna give me a beer?" Charlie held her hand out.

"Here you go, Chuck." Tim handed her a beer without question.

"Let's go run some plays." Charlie popped the beer open and drank half of it.

* * *

"There you are, honey. Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. Your thing at school was only supposed to take a minute." Eric met Tami out on the front walk with the baby in his arms.

"I took a little mental health time to steel myself for this. You now know how I felt for fifteen years before I had a career." Tami chuckled a little.

"Don't you dare laugh at my pain. Here, take your son. I think he knows when you leave the he revolts. He knows that you have the boobs and you're his source of food." Eric handed the baby to her.

"Hi, handsome. Momma sure did miss you." Tami kissed his head. "How bad is it in there?"

"It's hell, Tami, pure hell. Both of our parents are here. Your sister and my brother are hittin' on each other. And my wingman up and ran away to God alone knows where." Eric mumbled.

"Let's do this together, hon." Tami took his hand and led him into the house.

"Mom, if you love me you will save me. The grandparents are being themselves and Matt ran off and left me here alone." Julie whispered harshly the minute Tami walked through the door.

"I'm forty years old and I can't save myself from this. If I have to endure it so do you. Matt had the right idea. He's with Tim right now. That should tell you how bad things are when I think Tim Riggins is a better alternative." Tami whispered back.

"Dad?" Julie pouted at Eric.

"Listen to your mother. She's generally smarter than both of us about things like this." Eric gave her a helpless look.

"Tami, there you are. I was surprised you weren't here when we got here. I didn't think that you'd want to leave the baby this soon." Tami's mother Ruth walked over.

"I had to go down to the school and supervise somethin', momma. It is my job." Tami kissed her cheek.

"Ruth, leave the girl alone. She has a career. She finally gave me a grandson she did her job." Luther kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Hi, daddy." Tami smiled at him.

"He's a big boy isn't he?" Luther tickled Hayes under his chin.

"He is. He likes to eat a lot." Tami replied.

"Of course, he does, he's a Taylor man we always know when it's feedin' time. He's makin' the NFL like his father and his uncle should have." Roy Taylor was a big man with a thick mustache.

"Royal Michael Taylor, the boy is an infant. Did you ever stop to think that he might not like football?" Donna Taylor called her husband down.

"Momma, don't talk crazy. The boy is gonna love football." Eric corrected her.

"This is why I haven't gotten married or had babies." Mike observed to Shelly.

"I agree with you there. We have the best older siblings in the world. They took all the heat off us. Eric finally came through and produced a male heir. It's pretty damn good to be us right now." Shelly grinned.

"It's even better to be my sister. No one has any expectations of her. They did it right with Eric and me. I don't know why they needed her." Mike joked.

Tami glared over at her sister and brother-in-law. "You two are enjoyin' this entirely too much." She whispered harshly.

"Where is my daughter?" Roy asked.

"She's probably down at the field takin' care of some stuff with the team. With her I never know." Eric answered him.

"It's good of you to take care of her like that. Apparently, she needs it. She had that head coachin' job in Charleston. Sure, it was only JV, but she was on her way. She just couldn't hack it. I didn't know I raised a damn coward." Roy stroked his mustache.

"Julie, if you love your father you will go find your Aunt Charlie's bag and get me the bottle of whiskey she keeps in there. I'm gonna need it." Eric whispered to Julie.

"Hon, why don't you go in the backyard and fire up the grill? I'm sure that Mike would like to help you with that. Wouldn't you, Mike?" Tami looked at her brother-in-law pointedly.

"Not really, but I can." Mike teased.

"Mike, I deal with four hundred teenagers just like you every day as principal. Your juvenile behavior doesn't faze me." Tami rolled her eyes at him.

"Charlotte, there you are." Donna called out when Charlie walked in the front door.

"Momma, you'll have to forgive me if I don't hug you I've been runnin' and you don't wanna touch me right now. At the very least I need to change my shirt." Charlie replied.

"That's my girl. If she'd been a boy I woulda had my pro football player. She's tougher than both those boys combined. Though she can't be as tough as I thought she ran from that job in Charleston." Roy tempered his pride with the second part of his comment.

"It's great to see you too, daddy." Charlie replied tightly. "I'm just gonna go change." She walked over to Tami and whispered in her ear. "I called your bluff. Don't ever call me damn coward again."

"Checkmate, baby sister, checkmate. You just did exactly what I wanted you to." Tami talked to her through gritted teeth.

"I officially no longer like you." Charlie grumbled and walked off to change.

Tami just laughed and watched her walk away.

* * *

A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. I'm sorry for the long wait. Until next time please review.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers.

* * *

Chapter 11

Mike made a minor stage production out of pouring the charcoal on the grill. He arranged the briquettes and lit them. He wiped his hands on his jeans when he was finished.

"You know how to properly load briquettes into a grill, I'll give you that much." Eric stood back and watched his brother work with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Eric, believe it or not, I do know how to grill without ya standin' over my shoulder watchin' me." Mike rolled his eyes.

"I just want to make sure that you're doin' it right." Eric pushed his sunglasses up on his nose.

"Mhmm," Mike grunted. "So, how is our baby sister really doin'?"

"Mike, I don't know. She says that she's fine and I wanna believe her, but there is somethin' in her behavior that says somethin' is off. It can't be anythin' too serious or she wouldn't be as put together as she is. She's just the baby and I worry 'bout her." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"She is tougher than either of us give her credit for. She always has been. She's had to be. She grew up as the only girl in football family with our dad as her father. I'm not scared to be blunt or honest, so I'll come out and say it. She has bigger balls than either of us do. She is the one who can stand up to dad. Before she left for college on her ROTC scholarship she told him to his face that she loved him, but he didn't get to dictate her life to her. She'd do what she damn well pleased and he could like it or not." Mike retorted.

"Mom told me 'bout that conversation and I'll admit that it sounds like Charlie. You're right she does have big brass balls. She doesn't care man or woman she will go toe to toe with 'em. She's dad's perfect son her only sin in his eyes is that she wasn't born a boy. She's so tough though, I don't know if she knows how to be weak." Eric replied thoughtfully.

"I've got a guy in South Carolina who owes me a favor. I can do some diggin' and see if he can find anythin' out, 'bout our darlin' baby sister. That's one of the perks of bein' a federal agent. I have people all over the place who owe me favors." Mike offered.

"I won't say yes and I won't say no, I will just say if she finds out 'bout this I knew nothin'." Eric gave him a knowing look.

"I know how this works. We've been her big brothers for twenty-eight years. We have to act like we ain't protectin' her to protect her." Mike nodded his head in agreement.

Eric heard the back door open. "Act innocent."

"I hear ya," Mike grunted.

"I'm sure that you two are out here misbehaving that's why my sister sent me to warn you to be on your best behavior. She also said that your best behavior is helped along by beer." Shelly handed them each a beer.

"Tell your sister that she worries too much. We are out here bein' perfect gentlemen." Mike winked at her.

"Your brother may be a gentleman, but I know different when it comes to you, Mikey." Shelly rubbed his arm.

"Where is my baby sister when I need her? She'd have somethin' to say 'bout this situation and I'll just keep my mouth shut, 'cause I know what's good for me." Eric mumbled to himself.

"I wouldn't be surprised if when she went into the garage she didn't take off running." Shelly supplied helpfully.

"I will have you know that I'm right here. I was gettin' the tent that I stashed in there. I much rather sleep out in the back yard than under the same roof as my parents. I love 'em to death, but there is a reason that I moved out so young." Charlie retorted.

"Charlie, why are you puttin' up a tent in my backyard?" Eric arched his eyebrow.

"Tami told me I could. Also, I told her if she didn't make a big deal outta of it I'd let Gracie Belle camp out with me for as long as she wants." Charlie shrugged her shoulders.

"Even I know better than to argue with that." Eric pointed with his eyes to Shelly and Mike.

"Mike, could you may wanna be a little less obvious 'bout the fact that you're eye fuckin' our brother's sister-in-law." Charlie shook her head and went about setting up her tent.

"Ask and ye shall receive. I just didn't know I'd receive that much." Eric snorted.

"Oh, Eric, your brother is a shameless flirt and he's fun to mess with. I need to go back in my mother and your mother have taken over the kitchen and I'm being forced to help. You know Tami just had a baby and she can't lift a finger to do anything." Shelly rolled her eyes.

"They are little old women, Shelly. That's how they see things. My mother asked me if I was gonna need to have one of my brothers set this tent up so it was done right. I roll my eyes out loud at 'em. I have to or I would be up on my soapbox and your sister would be right there with me." Charlie chimed in.

"Eric! Mike! Charlie!" Roy walked out and yelled at each of his children.

"What, dad?" Charlie yelled back at him.

"I wanna throw some passes with my kids while the grill warms up." Roy told her.

"I'll go get the ball bag out of the truck. If we're gonna do this we better do it right." Charlie replied.

* * *

"I would like to know how it is that Charlie gets to be out there while I'm stuck in here." Julie grumbled.

"Julie, it's because no one wants food poisoning. Your aunt can't cook. I'm not sure how she's still alive. While she lived on base at least I knew that she could eat in the mess hall. I don't know how she made it on her own when she was coachin'. I'm not sure that I wanna know either. I would probably faint at her horrible eatin' habits." Donna rubbed her granddaughter's shoulder.

"It's always the youngest you have to worry about." Ruth chimed in.

"My youngest likes to go to war zones for fun. Ruth, until you have Roy Taylor in female form you don't know my pain." Donna laughed.

"Charlie is well behaved and a very good girl. I have Shelly I will gladly trade you." Ruth bargained.

"I am standing right here." Shelly protested.

"I didn't say anythin' that I wouldn't say to your face." Ruth smiled at her.

"Alright, daddy, your grandson has a clean diaper and a full belly now if the perfect time for you to hold him. Especially, while Roy and his daddy are both outside." Tami came out of Hayes' nursery with the baby in her arms.

"Let me hold the boy." Luther held his arms out. He smiled when his daughter settled his grandson in his arms. "Hey there, Eric."

"Big Eric hears you call him that and he will probably think you're talkin' to him. We call him Hayes. That was his daddy's idea." Tami corrected him.

"Tami, mom thinks that when compared to you I was the bad one." Shelly told her sister.

"You were." Tami gave her a look.

"And you didn't have your moments?" Shelly asked her.

"I know what I was. I've admitted to what I was. You and Michael on the other hand. The dirt I have on both of you is enough to fill a cemetery." Tami countered.

"Mikey is as harmless as I am." Shelly protested.

"Shelly, just do me a favor and don't. I've never wanted to know and I still don't." Tami warned her. "Julie, if you daddy keeps throwin' like that he's gonna need the aspirin. You should take them to him." She found a way to get Julie out of the kitchen.

"I will do that. If Matty comes back while I'm outside let him know that there is football to be played out back." Julie replied.

"Of course, I'll let him know." Tami smiled at her.

Julie went into the bathroom to grab the aspirin for her dad.

"Tami, what do you think of this young man Julie is engaged to?" Donna asked.

"He's a very good boy. He's Eric's shadow and he does whatever I ask him to. He's so good with Gracie Belle and Hayes. Those two are lucky to have him for a big brother. And Julie is lucky to have him. If any of you ever say I said this I'll deny it, but he reminds me of Eric in a way. They are both smart and they both didn't exactly fit into that dumb jock mold. I've known a few dumb jocks in my day, so I speak with authority." Tami replied.

"Don't you think they are a little young to be gettin' married?" Ruth asked.

"They are no younger than Eric and I were when we got married at this point. We had been together longer, but they are good for each other. And if this is the only problem I get from her I'm thankful. I only hope that Gracie Belle and Hayes are that well behaved." Tami looked up at the ceiling pleadingly.

* * *

"Lookie here, Seven. Coach has quite the arm on him." Tim commented. He had brought Matt home.

"I know all about Coach's arm. Check out the arm on Charlie." Matt's jaw dropped.

"Chuck could put our new startin' QB to shame." Tim said in awe.

"Saracen, Riggins, both you come here. We need receivers." Eric waved them over.

"Sure, Coach," Matt agreed.

"Hold on a minute," Eric held his hand up. "Matt, Tim, this is my brother Mike and my father Roy. Dad, Mike, this an old player of mine Tim Riggins and Julie's fiancé Matt." He introduced them.

"It's nice to meet you, boys." Roy shook both their hands.

"Matt, if you make my niece cry I make you cry. It's as simple as that. Tim, you look like my kinda trouble." Mike patted them both on the back.

"Yes sir," Matt nodded.

"Tim is everyone's kinda trouble. He supplies me with drinks regardless of the time of day." Charlie chimed in.

Mike gave her a knowing look and whispered in her ear. "Cradle robber,"

Charlie glared at him in response. Words couldn't convey as much as that look had.

"Timmy, why don't you run a post pattern and wait for Mike to hit you? Matty, you run a flag route and Charlie will hit you." Roy instructed them.

"Yes sir," Matt and Tim answered in unison.

"You can throw first I wouldn't give you an excuse as to why you threw bad." Charlie smirked at her middle brother.

"Whatever you say, baby sister." Mike pinched her cheek to get to her. "Alright, down, set, hit." He called out. He hit Tim right in the chest with his pass.

"That was a nice pass for an old guy." Tim complimented him.

"I ain't as old as Coach." Mike shrugged his shoulders.

"Matty, you ready?" Charlie asked.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Matt replied.

"Down, set, hit," Charlie dropped back to pass and hit Matt on the fly and he kept running.

"Holy shit, Chuck, you were holdin' back on us earlier. That's not an arm that's a cannon." Tim marveled.

"One of my superpowers is that I have an arm that's better than a lot of NFL QB's. I just had the bad manners to be born a woman." Charlie snorted.

"Ok, Charlie, we don't need ya to get up on your soap box." Roy rolled his eyes at his only daughter.

"Yep, no problem." Charlie nodded her head. She was used to her father and she knew when to argue with him.

* * *

"Charlie, Matty, could ya'll come here a minute please?" Tami called them into the living room once everyone else had settled in for the night. She sat on the couch holding Hayes and Eric was sitting beside them.

"What do you need, Tami?" Matt was still a little uneasy about calling his future mother-in-law by her given name.

"Whatever it is I didn't do it. I haven't been drinking yet." Charlie joked.

"Smart ass," Tami laughed. "We just wanted to talk to you two about somethin'."

"Whatever ya'll need." Charlie added.

"Charlie, you know better than just 'bout anyone what family means to me. Matt, I would hope that you know that too. I try to treat that team like a family and I try to get ya'll boys to behave like a band of brothers. Here's the way I see it Hayes has two sisters by birth and he's lucky enough to have a brother via the oldest. I have one sister and she means everythin' to me." Eric cleared his throat.

"What Eric is tryin' to say is this. We would love it if ya'll would be Little Eric's godparents." Tami clarified.

"Yeah, of course," Matt smiled shyly.

"Ya'll sure? What 'bout Shelly and Mike? Aren't they gonna get mad?" Charlie asked.

"Shelly and Mike are Julie's godparents and Julie is Gracie Belle's godmother. We're sure, Charlie, don't worry so much. We know what we're doin' here." Tami smiled at her.

"Then yeah, I'm in. I can't think of a more important job." Charlie crossed her arms.

"Thank you both. This means a lot to us. This wasn't a decision that we came to lightly." Eric spoke up again.

"I can't promise that I won't get him kicked outta preschool for cussin' like a sailor." Charlie laughed.

"I'm countin' on that. I'll just make sure that the school calls you when he does somethin' that he's not supposed to." Tami teased her.

"That's fair enough. I think I can handle that." Charlie smiled widely.

"Matt, let's you and I go out back and have a beer and leave these two to talk." Eric gestured for the younger man to follow him outside.

"Tami, tell me that you didn't tell my brother anythin' 'bout my inability to sleep soundly at night." Charlie begged.

"I didn't say anythin' to him, but I told you that our earlier conversation wasn't over." Tami reminded her.

"It's a little insomnia it's nothin'. Some nights it's not a factor other nights I play hell gettin' to sleep. Or I'll get to sleep then wake back up in a couple hours and not be able to go back to sleep. It sometimes just depends on how stressed I am or how much stuff I have kickin' 'round in my head. Sometimes a couple belts of whiskey is the only thing that helps." Charlie explained.

Tami listened to what amounted to her baby sister talk and understanding dawned on her face. "Charlie, have you been diagnosed? Have you talked to someone?"

Charlie produced a prescription bottle from her pocket. "I've talked and talked 'til I was blue in the face and they gave me these pills and some others. I take them like I'm supposed to, but they don't always help."

"Charlie, there people at the VA who are there specifically to help vets that were wounded the way that you are. I wish I'd known before now. I could have recommended someone." Tami looked at her sympathetically.

"Tami, can you trust that I'm a big girl who knows what she's doin'? I'm not that same sixteen-year-old kid that used to call you and Eric to get me out of a jam." Charlie reasoned with her.

"I believe you, but you have PTSD, Charlie and that's not somethin' that you have to go through alone. Your brothers and I are here for you." Tami tried to get through to her.

"You're my big sister and I won't argue that, but like I said trust me. I consider myself lucky that after the things I did and saw that all I do is lose a little sleep at night. The not sleepin' comes and goes in spurts. Football is the best medicine. It helps me in ways that you wouldn't believe." Charlie replied.

"Then why did you come back home?" Tami questioned.

"There was a guy." Charlie said simply.

"There's always a guy when it comes to you and trouble. That sounds 'bout right to me." Tami nodded her head. She waited for her to go on. "Is there anythin' else that you wanna add?"

"There was a guy with the same affliction as me. I got help for it he didn't. That's all you really need to know." Charlie filled her in.

Tami nodded her head in understanding. "If that's all you want me to know for right now I'm ok with that. You'll tell me the rest of the story when you're ready for me to know."

"Thank you, for that. You have no idea how much that means to me." Charlie gave her a small smile.

"You're a lot like Eric. You need to talk 'bout things in your own time and I respect that." Tami smiled back at her.

"Did you still want me to take Gracie Belle out in the back yard for a campout?" Charlie asked.

"Sweetie, she was so tired she fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. You two will have a chance to do it tomorrow night. I think that she will really enjoy it." Tami replied.

"I will make it a lot of fun for her." Charlie agreed.

"I wish you wouldn't sleep out there, but I know there is no changin' your mind, so I won't even try. Just take a light out there." Tami told her.

"Whatever you say, Principal Taylor." Charlie threw her a mock salute.

"You better remember who the boss is." Tami pointed at her in mock seriousness.

* * *

"Matt! Julie! Charlie! Come on up and at 'em! If ya'll don't want Tami on your case you'll get movin' now!" Eric yelled out loudly.

"You are so lucky that I was up already or I would so go off on your loud ass for wakin' me." Charlie came out of the guest bathroom dressed in a black pants suit.

"You really weren't kiddin' when you told Tami that you don't own a dress or skirt were you?" Eric teased her.

"I probably do, but I don't wear that shit unless I have to." Charlie shrugged.

"I don't think I blame you on that one. Momma is gonna have a fit, but I know you can handle that. You haven't made it through this world bein' you without bein' able to handle a little flak." Eric pulled her into a quick hug.

"Sorry, Coach, I didn't mean to be so late gettin' up. Gracie Belle decided to lay on top of me for a little while and there was no movin' her." Matt apologized.

"Matt, don't even worry 'bout it. She's the boss and we just pretend like she isn't." Eric clapped him on the back.

"She's a little pistol that's for sure." Matt was dressed in his suit and tie.

"She takes after her momma that way." Eric nodded his head.

"Oh, good, we're all up. That means I won't have to listen to the grandparents urging us to get out of here on time." Tami walked in.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that none of us wanted that." Charlie made a face.

"We are ready to go then and I don't know what that's like." Tami snorted. "Do one of you two wanna go get your godson?"

"I'll get him. Where is he?" Charlie asked.

"He's layin' in his crib. He's all chilled out in a milk comma in his little suit." Tami made a face.

"Good, he will be manageable." Charlie quipped. She retrieved Hayes from his nursery.

"Alright, we gotta leave in five minutes. Let's get goin'." Eric clapped his hands to get everyone in gear.

* * *

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm sorry for the long wait. I haven't given up on this story and I still plan to continue it. A little bit of the Charlie mystery has been solved. This story focuses more on Coach and Tami because let's face it they were the best part of the show. Anyway I'm wondering if I should have Charlie go back on her word to Julie and have a little fling with Tim. Let me know what you think. Until next time please review.


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